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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin

like us:

@TheBrag

THE BRAG

five things WITH

SEAN SIMMONS FROM THE SPOILS Growing Up My grandfather played in 1. a jazz/swing band so I grew up

I would perhaps have given up years ago.

with a lot of Count Basie, Nelson Riddle and Glenn Miller. I was soon seduced by rock’n’roll when I heard The Beatles for the first time. Then I heard The Velvet Underground and I was hooked for life. My teen years were spent in bands that included (soon to be) members of The Drones, Paul Kelly’s band, Mick Harvey’s band, Dallas Crane and more. We all infl uenced each other as we were discovering new gems.

Your Band Our band is mostly made up 3. of old friends and lovers. I asked the

Inspirations When I was 13, my year 2. eight maths teacher made me a tape. On one side was The Velvet Underground & Nico. On the other was Television’s Marquee Moon. That tape had a profound effect on me, perhaps not immediately but eventually. My wife is my muse. If she wasn’t there encouraging me and making me push myself,

girl next door to join our band after hearing her play violin over the fence. I married her seven years later. I’ve been playing with our drummer and bass player on and off for over 20 years since I was a kid. I’ve known our keys player the least amount of time and that’s ten years! With that kind of history, there’s a lot of room for different opinions and arguments. We’re a family as much as we are a band. We love and fight like a family too. The Music You Make We’ve never felt a part of any 4. scene or fad. Our heroes are ones that have adopted that philosophy too. We aim to create the music we’d like to buy or listen to. People lump us in with The Bad Seeds, Lee Hazelwood, The Black Heart Procession, Mark

Lanegan, Tindersticks… While these comparisons are flattering, we never attempt to emulate these artists. I think journalists hear a deep voice or a minor chord but that’s where the similarities end. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I believe the live music scene is healthier than ever. No-one is selling many records anymore so the need to tour is more important than ever. Many complain there are too many bands but if you can sift through the shit there’s more great stuff out there than ever before. We played with The Holy Soul for the first time ever in France on a tour. They blew our minds – “intelligent rock with unconventional twists and turns”. I lament the passing of Bridezilla. The Twerps will one day take over the world. Kirin J Callinan will one day end the world. Where: Frankie’s Pizza (early) / Brighton Up Bar (late) When: Thursday November 28

BIG DAY OUT SIDESHOWS

EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ARTS EDITOR: Lisa Omagari lisa@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 STAFF WRITERS: Alasdair Duncan, Jody Macgregor, Krissi Weiss NEWS: Chris Honnery, Chris Martin, Lily White ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alan Parry COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Chapman Baehler PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar, David Rouse ADVERTISING: Bianca Lockley - 0412 581 669 / (02) 9212 4322 bianca@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Rob Furst MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600, 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Helen Vienne, Callum Wylie, Rebecca Whitman gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag. com (dance, hip hop & parties)

Tickets go on sale this Friday November 29 for a slew of Big Day Out sideshows in late January. Are you ready? Lezdoit. Snoop Dogg AKA Snoop Lion plays what will likely be a smoky old Enmore Theatre alongside Mac Miller on Saturday January 25. Grouplove and CSS play the same date at the Metro Theatre. On Monday January 27, The 1975 play Oxford Art Factory.

The Dark Hawks

Festival headliners Arcade Fire are set for a mammoth Sydney Entertainment Centre show on Tuesday January 28, bringing with them their latest studio triumph, Reflektor. Across town on the same night, The Lumineers play the Enmore. And Wednesday January 29 sees Toro Y Moi and Portugal. The Man hit The Hi-Fi; Major Lazer and Flosstradamus at the Enmore; and Mudhoney at Oxford Art Factory. Head to bigdayout.com/sideshows for ticketing information and more. Meanwhile, the second lineup announcement for the festival itself on Sunday January 26 at the Sydney Showgrounds added Primus, Vista Chino and more. For Primus, it’ll mark the 20th anniversary since they played the third ever BDO. How quickly they grow up, eh?

Michael Franti

AWESOME INTERNS: Mina Kitsos, Helen Vienne, Rebecca Whitman, Callum Wylie REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Marissa Demetriou, Christie Eliezer, Chris Honnery, Cameron James, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Jody Macgregor, Alicia Malone, Daniel Prior, Amy Theodore, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, Rick Warner, Krissi Weiss, Augustus Welby, David Wild, David James Young

MY CAPTAIN COOK RIOT

A bumper lineup of 16 indie acts will feature at the My Captain Cook Riot day festival, held Saturday November 30 at the Captain Cook Hotel. Headlining proceedings are The Dark Hawks, joined by Elegant Shiva, The Owls, Big White, The Rumours, The Chitticks, Mary Gunn, Valvewire and more. Doors open 11am.

Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227

DOBBYN & MCGLASHAN

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forrester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121 DEADLINES: Editorial: Wednesday 12pm (no extensions) Artwork/ad bookings: Thursday 12pm (no extensions). Ad cancellations: Tuesday 4pm Published by Furst Media P/L ACN 1112480045. All content copyrighted to Cartrage P/L/ Furst Media P/L 2003-2013 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au or phone 03 9428 3600. PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: www.spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204

8 :: BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

Michael Franti & Spearhead have revealed headlining dates alongside their appearances at Byron Bay Bluesfest and Deni Blues & Roots. Franti, who released his eighth Spearhead album earlier this year, All People, is the kind of versatile performer who can move a crowd emotionally, politically and, erm, danceably. Support at the sideshows will come from Sheppard. They play the Metro Theatre on Tuesday April 15.

If there’s one thing we love about our frunds across the dutch in NZ, it’s that they can write a damn good song. Two of the Kiwis’ finest songwriting exports, Dave Dobbyn and Don McGlashan, are set to prove it this Saturday November 30 at The Basement. Dobbyn you may remember from his time in ’70s and ’80s rockers Th’ Dudes. We still don’t know why they dropped the vowel – and we asked Lez White.

NSW dates set up before they play Woodford Folk Festival at the end of December. The quintet, including four members of the original lineup, is rounded out by bass player Rebecca Johnson. Johnson fills the role of the sadly departed Chris Bailey, who passed away this year. Gangajang play Lizotte’s Central Coast on Wednesday December 18, Lizotte’s Newcastle on Thursday December 19, and Coogee Diggers on Friday December 20.

BUDDY GUY AND JAKE BUGG FOR BLUESFEST

THREDBO BLUES FESTIVAL

Byron Bay Bluesfest has added Buddy Guy, Jake Bugg and more to the 2014 Easter long weekend festival. Blues guitar legend Guy, 77, has been performing for nearly 50 years, while Bugg is the new golden boy of folk, already having visited Australia this year. They lead a fourth lineup announcement that also includes The James Cotton Blues Band, Booker T. Jones, Charlie Musselwhite, Eric Bibb and more.

GANGAJANG

Patriotic pop-rockers Gangajang are returning to Aussie stages, with a run of

Some of Australia’s top folk artists are gearing up for this summer’s Thredbo Blues Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in January. Renowned as a favourite amongst many folk and blues musicians, Thredbo Blues is back again to reignite a legacy which only a very small number of Australia festivals can rival. With the beautiful backdrop of the Thredbo mountains, the 2014 edition boasts an impressive lineup including Wendy Matthews, Jeff Lang, Kevin Borich, Ray Beadle and Rick Price, and is one of the most anticipated folk events of the summer. It takes place from Friday January 17 to Sunday January 19. thebrag.com

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rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin and Helen Vienne

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

five things WITH JULIA

GURRY FROM BELLE ROSCOE brother Matty and I. We write and compose the songs and try to manage the business as best we can as independent artists. Having grown up with one another and spent almost a decade together writing and recording music there’s a familiarity of trust and support when it comes to workshopping ideas and arrangements.

Growing Up Music was like a running 1. tap in our house, always on!

Inspirations This is the hardest question 2. in the world, next to ‘What style

Of Irish descent, we grew up spending our family occasions sitting around tables singing, playing instruments and drinking whisky. Singing in harmony came only second to walking. Every Saturday was ‘The King’s Day’. We’d sit around with Dad and watch Elvis movies. Music was never forced on us; it was just something we all did as a family. There is no doubt that we were affected by these experiences, both good and bad!

of music do you write?’ So many different artists have influenced us. I grew up listening to classic records from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s; mainly storyteller folk artists were high on the menu, followed by some blues and rock. Artists such as Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young are some of my early key influences. Band The core of the band is my 3. Your

However, onstage, Belle Roscoe is actually a six-piece band – although our musicians rotate depending on the country we are in. We recorded the second album with Belgian musicians and have a French band for our European tours. We also have a band in Australia and are really looking forward to touring with these guys at the end of the month.

The Music You Make For this new album, we decided that we would ensure 90 per cent of the tracks were written and recorded before going into the studio. As independent artists, you try stretch the already limited buck as far as possible and one way to do this is maximise studio time and have the songs written and demoed before officially recording them.

SARAH BLASKO

Pokey Lafarge

The oh-so-heavenly Sarah Blasko is set to open the 2014 Heavenly Sounds schedule with a show at St Stephen’s Uniting Church on Wednesday January 15. Her latest EP, Fool, features remixes by PVT and Seekae – not so sure they’ll go down well in church, but Blasko herself most certainly will. “What better place is there to sing (apart from the shower of course) than a beautiful church?” said Blasko.

Shaun Kirk

We also decided to experience recording an album in Europe. As much as we love Australian production, we wanted to experience recording in different countries to evolve our sounds. We soon discovered Belgian producer/DJ Luuk Cox and loved his work so approached him to produce this record. We hit it off instantly and knew he would push us to our limits. Little did we know that he would have us recording between Malta, Belgium and France! Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I think the music business is at an extremely confused and desperate crossroads – no-one really knows which way to turn next. As a result the obstacles we have to overcome are pretty major, particularly as independent artists. It’s a constant struggle for artists to simply afford to hang in and create music. What: Boom Boom out now Where: Lizotte’s Sydney / FBi Social / Paddington RSL When: Wednesday November 27 / Thursday November 28 / Friday November 29

ELVIS COSTELLO

Pump It Up, why don’tcha? Tickets are on sale this week for Elvis Costello & The Imposters’ headlining Sydney date at the State Theatre. Recently added to the Deni Blues & Roots lineup, Costello and his band, in its various guises, have been to Australia a dozen times since the late ’70s. And that time has come around again on the back of Wise Up Ghost, Costello’s recent release with The Roots. Costello and co. will also play Byron Bay Bluesfest. The State Theatre show goes down on Wednesday April 23. Tickets on sale Thursday November 28 via Ticketmaster.

CHILDREN OF BODOM

The gargantuan and genre-defining Children of Bodom have announced their Halo Of Blood Over Australia tour dates. The Finnish exports have been pushing their brand of melodic death metal for 20 years, and their live show promises an all-consuming experience in heavy music. They’ll play The Hi-Fi on Friday May 9, with support from Eye Of The Enemy and Orpheus Omega.

USURPER OF MODERN MEDICINE

Steven Aaron Hughes, Cameron George and Cameron Hines have been quietly plugging away for over three years, and now Usurper of Modern Medicine are just about ready to drop

Katie Noonan

SONGS THAT MADE ME

Katie Noonan, Abby Dobson, Angie Hart and Martha Marlow are four of Australia’s most compelling voices. They follow in a wonderful tradition of female singersongwriters Down Under – not that their own achievements are eclipsed by many; Noonan an ever-present force in modern opera and jazz alike, and Dobson coming to fame with Leonardo’s Bride, responsible for one of the best pop songs of the ’90s. Hart has been on the scene for years, while Marlow’s star is rising. Together, they’ve put together a special Songs That Made Me tour, set to hit the Factory Theatre on Thursday December 5. We’ve got three double passes to give away – just visit thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us the one song that made you who you are today.

MADE IN JAPAN

Sydney lads Made In Japan returned from a successful jaunt to the UK to release their second album, Tame All Those Thoughts, earlier this month. Debut album Sights And Sounds was nominated for the Australian Music Prize, but this one hasn’t let anyone down. They’re launching the new record with a homecoming show at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday November 30, and we’ve got two double passes up for grabs. For your chance to win, visit thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us your favourite Japanese export.

their debut album. ‘Motorolla Borealis’ is the first teaser of the record due early 2014, and the band is heading out on a series of video launch shows to celebrate. See them at the Lansdowne Hotel this Thursday November 28, with support coming from Set Sail and The Shooters Party.

RAZOR BLADE FEST

Ska and punk fans will unite at Hermann’s Bar, Sydney University this Saturday November 30 for Razor Blade Fest, back for its second year. A lengthy lineup will keep things going until midnight: Chris Duke and the Royals, Sucker Punch, Nerdlinger, Kang, Excitebike, Speedball, Seek the Silence, Nudist Colonies of the World, Handball Deathmatch, 51 Percent, Metcalfe, Pants Optional, Favours the Brave and Old Time Glory.

NOISEFEST

I Killed the Prom Queen are set to headline a summer metal festival with a difference – Noisefest, at The Beachcomber Hotel in Toukley, sets a legion of local acts in the surrounds of a pool party. Who said metalheads can’t get a tan? Also on the bill are Make Them Suffer, Aversion’s Crown, As Silence Breaks, Stories, Glorifi ed, Allay The Sea, One Vital Word and many more. It’s an all-day event on Saturday December 7.

POKEY LAFARGE

Pokey LaFarge will hit Australian shores next March. Fresh from signing with Jack White’s label, Third Man Records, and releasing his self-titled album, LaFarge has recieved much critical acclaim both at home in America and on the international stage. Pokey and his band bring a focus and energy to the American roots genre that positions his music at the crossroads of early jazz, country blues and western swing. Check him out at The Basement on Thursday March 13.

DARREN HANLON

Darren Hanlon will be returning to Australia this December for his Christmas tour. After a busy year writing and recording his next album across various cities of the American South, the indie-folk troubadour Hanlon will be back to play his customary holiday shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland this December. Now in their eighth year, Hanlon’s Christmas shows are solo, intimate affairs showcasing his back catalogue as well as songs from his forthcoming album, which is set for release next March. Find him at St Stephens Anglican Church, Newtown with The Orbweavers on Sunday December 21.

10 :: BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13

The Butterfly Effect

SHAUN KIRK

Multi-instrumentalist bluesman Shaun Kirk is prepping for his debut album, Steer The Wheel, due in March. In the meantime he’s released Giving, a taster EP ahead of the full-lengther, and is heading out on tour to boot. Already, Kirk’s played Bluesfest, Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and St Kilda Festival, so he knows his way around the stage – catch him at Coogee Diggers on Saturday December 7.

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

The Butterfly Effect have been getting on with business, adding new vocalist Paul Galagher. They’ve set a run of dates to celebrate the end of a watershed year, with shows slotted for the Mona Vale Hotel on Sunday December 29 and Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Tuesday December 31. If you’re looking to bring in the New Year with something a little heavier, look no further.

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * Will one of The Rolling Stonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Victorian shows be at Hanging Rock? * Arcade Fire have issued a dress code for their US arena tour, with fans told when they buy tickets to â&#x20AC;&#x153;please wear formal attire or costumeâ&#x20AC;?. * Former triple j groover Robbie Buck will be the new host of 702 ABC Sydney breakfast, replacing Adam Spencer. * The Australian Institute of Musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bushfire Benefit at the Bald Faced Stag raised $4,400 for The Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal.

* Nine Inch Nailsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Trent Reznor displayed kindness in Las Vegas. Of cancerstricken photographer Andrew Youssef, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to have a Bono moment and try to FaceTime him.â&#x20AC;? As the crowd chanted Youssefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name, Reznor rang, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Listen, I just wanted to tell you that I miss you man. I wish you were here.â&#x20AC;? * The Cat Empireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Felix Riebel might drum up a storm onstage but his 22-year-old brother Max (who named the band, incidentally) is a classical artist who sings as a countertenor, and as a boy performed solos at the opera in Vienna. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doing some

MADONNA HIGHEST PAID MUSICIAN Madonna has been named the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest paid musician by Forbes magazine. She made US$125m between June 2012 and June 2013 from her MDNA world tour, merchandise sales, a clothing line and perfume brand. She beat Lady Gaga who was second with $80m and Bon Jovi at $79m. The rest of the list was Toby Keith ($65m), Coldplay ($64m), Justin Bieber ($58m), Taylor Swift ($55m), Elton John ($54m), BeyoncĂŠ ($53m) and Kenny Chesney ($53m).

AUSSIE MUSIC SALES DOWN 5%? ARIA wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t release the official figures for 2013â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recorded music sales until early next year. But the Australian Financial Review has spoken to sources that say sales are down 5%. This would be a disappointment after wholesale figures grew 4% last year to $393m, their second increase in a decade. Alas, 2013 didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a sales phenomenon like Adele. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also affecting sales, according to the AFR, is that cheap streaming services are biting into legal downloads.

shows over Christmas. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be dissing him â&#x20AC;&#x201C; heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tall at 187kg and very strong. He once held the Australian Junior Bench Press record! * The nearly sold-out Chic appearance at the Sydney Opera House will be streamed around the world on the SOHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s YouTube channel, Live at the House, on Saturday December 7. * Last weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mullum Music Festival, which drew up to 6,000 (sales â&#x20AC;&#x153;eclipsedâ&#x20AC;? previous years, said organiser Glenn Wright) included a tribute to late David Ades whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d taken part in every street parade. * Noel Gallagher, asked about the Oasis reunion talk: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We

Digital revenue growth has slowed to 10% from 20% and the fall rate of CD sales is 20%, compared to 12% last year.

WHY MUSIC IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVING Listening to rock music causes men to drive more aggressively, moving faster and braking later. Women respond in a similar way to hip hop. A study by insurance website confused. com found that songs like Guns Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rosesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Paradise Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, The Black Eyes Peasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey Mamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, M.I.A.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Paper Planesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Ray Charlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hit The Road Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Kanye Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Heartlessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Nickelbackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How You Remind Meâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; speed up peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart rates and make drivers want to â&#x20AC;&#x153;catch upâ&#x20AC;?. Psychologists say drivers should listen to songs that are the same as their heart rate (60 to 80 beats per minute) like Norah Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Come Away With Meâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Scientistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Coldplay and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tiny Dancerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Elton John.

AMIN ANNOUNCES RELEASE PROGRAM The Australian Music Industry Network has selected 15 indie label owners to participate in its Release program. Running for six months,

Build Your Music Empire Today E HIFI 1300 THO M.AU THEHIFI.C

Info here:

Just Announced

Coming Soon

Toro Y Moi + Portugal The Man

TnT, Frequencerz, + More

Wed 29 Jan

Sat 15 Feb: U18s

Insane Clown Posse (USA)

Darkside Wed 02 Apr

Thu 5 Dec

Deerhunter (USA)

Kylesa (USA)

Tue 10 Dec

Thu 12 Dec

Sat 7 Dec: All Ages

Melvins (USA) & Helmet (USA) Sun 15 Dec

The Brian Jonestown Massacre (USA) Thu 19 Dec

Crystal Fighters (UK) Rotting Christ (GRE) Thu 9 Jan

Fri 17 Jan

Noisia & Foreign Beggars

Looptroop Rockers (SWE) & Sage Francis (USA) Fri 13 Dec

Waka Flocka Flame (USA)

Earthless (USA) & The Shrine (USA)

Fri 20 Dec

Sat 4 Jan

Supernova U18s Headhunterz

Dark Tranquillity (SWE)

Thu 23 Jan: U18s

Sat 29 Mar

Wehrmacht (USA) Eyehategod Children of Kerser Sat 18 Jan Grave (SWE) Bodom Sat 8 Feb: All Ages Primate (USA) Fri 9 May Sat 11 Jan ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, BUILDING 220, 122 LANG RD, MOORE PARK, SYDNEY

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are split up. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard that, havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you? You mustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard â&#x20AC;Ś Yeah, so, ergo, band splits up, band is no more. There is no band. So, no, I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be getting involved, anyway. If there is a reunion, I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be in it.â&#x20AC;? * After fans protested at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;cheapâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;awkwardâ&#x20AC;? video that Sony rushed out after Dami Imâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s X Factor win, a new video is being re-shot. * Festival of the Sun reported that all 3,000 tickets sold out in record time. * Drummer Matt Cameron will not rejoin Soundgarden when they tour next year, as he will be focusing on bashing skins for Pearl Jam.

it provides practical business guidance. From NSW are Deanne Hardwick (Underfoot), Jaclyn Hurst (HUB Artist Services), Joel Rapaport (Big Village), Michael Solo (Toehider) and Belinda Webster (Tall Poppies). The mentors are David Vodicka (Media Arts Lawyers), Sebastian Chase (MGM) and Colin Daniels (Inertia).

15 MORE AUSSIE ACTS CONFIRMED FOR SXSW Fifteen more acts from Australia were confirmed to perform at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, March 7 to 16. They are Oh Mercy, Boy & Bear, Gossling, DZ Deathrays, The Creases,The Delta Riggs, Favored Nations, The Jungle Giants, Kid Mac, Dub Fx, Dune Rats, The Growl, King Parrot, Touch Sensitive and What So Not.

CAUSING A STORM IN YOUR TEES International names sporting Aussie band t-shirts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Usher and Roger Sanchez wearing Empire of The Sun and OneRepublicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ryan Tedder in a Matt Corby â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gave ARIA this idea. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s asking music fans to wear Aussie band t-shirts on the streets this week and post on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the tags #ARIAs and #UnitedByMusic. All photos will be loaded into ARIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Band Tee Archive and displayed in ARIA properties. By the time you read this, ARIA and David Jones will have announced a partnership with an Australian fashion brand to create a line of commemorative band tees.

TWO UK DEALS FOR GOSSLING Just back from touring the US and the UK, Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gossling has signed two UK deals. One is with Polydor Records, alongside Lana Del Rey, Haim, Laura Marling and Ellie Goulding. Nick Holroyd and Matt Batesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Primary Talent booking agency (Alt-J, Azealia Banks) will represent her live.

CREATE/CONTROL ANNOUNCES PARTNERS Paul Piticcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Create/Control has signed partnerships with three North American labels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arts & Crafts and Los Angeles-based Vagrant and Innovative Leisure. Their acts include Feist, Broken Social Scene, Stars, Timber Timbre, Bombay Bicycle Club, The 1975, Active Child, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Bass Drum of Death, Hanni El Khatib, Superhumanoids and Tijuana Panthers.

ANOTHER WIN FOR BLUESFEST Byron Bay Bluesfest took out Best Regional Event at the Australian Event Awards in Sydney. The win was for its contribution to the NSW economy ($150.6m), with 51% of its 85,000 attendees this year from interstate and 5% from overseas. Bluesfest also picked up its seventh International Greener Festival Award. Additionally, it is in the Major Festivals and Events category for the NSW Tourism Awards in Sydney (Thursday November 28), against the Tamworth Country Music Festival and Deni Blues and Roots; and up for International Music Festival of the Year for Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pollstar awards in Nashville.

SELECT MUSIC EXPANDS INTO NZ After eight years of operation, NSW booking agency Select Music has expanded into New Zealand. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opened an office at

RhythmMethod HQ alongside RhythmMethod Distribution (Passenger), Ode Records, DRM, 45 RPM and Mystery Girl Touring and Publicity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are lucky to have found a group of people who feel the same way that we do about building, developing and touring artists, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfect fit for our Select artists in a market that has enormous potential for our acts to play in,â&#x20AC;? says director Stephen Wade.

VENUE OPERATOR GOES BUST Another Sydney venue operator has gone bust. FW F&B Pty Ltd took over the leasehold of live music venue East Village Hotel in Darlinghurst in 2010, rebranding it as The Village. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been wound up in the NSW Supreme Court after owing money to various beer and wine suppliers, as well as its landlord.

ALP ADOPTS NEWCASTLE PUB RULES NSW Laborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough new alcohol policy will be based on Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Under the plan, pub lockouts at 1am, a ban on late-night shots after 10pm, and a 3am booze stop would be trialled in the Sydney business district and Kings Cross for 18 months with an independent liquor regulator established. Teenagers aged 16 or 17 years would be used undercover to catch venues selling to minors. Licensing fees would depend on the amount of violence in a venue. There will be more police, CCTV, transport and education campaigns. Labor also acknowledged research by National Drug Law Enforcement that 18-to 24-year-olds have about six drinks before a night out, indicating a problem before they arrive at venues.

CLUBBER OF THE WEEK A 19-year-old Manchester clubber staggered into a taxi and, on the way home, saw an ad for cheap flights to Paris. He canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember much after that, but woke up in the toilets of the De Gaulle Airport in Paris, over 600 kilometres away.

AUCTION OF THE WEEK Erin Everly, ex-wife of Axl Rose and the woman about whom â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sweet Child Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was written, is selling a number of items from their marriage. Apart from candid photos and clothes, a true Guns Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roses fan can pick up a copy of their marriage certificate, their wedding video, a domestic abuse report filed by the LA cops, and a receipt for fixing a TV set Rose broke during one of their fights.

Lifelines Expecting: Kelly Clarkson and label exec husband Brandon Blackstock, their first child together. They were married last month. Expecting: McFly singer Tom Fletcher and wife Gi, their first. Hospitalised: Rita Ora after collapsing on the set of a video shoot on Miami Beach from exhaustion. Injured: two fans at the London edition of the Vans Warped Tour, when rapper Watsky climbed up onto a lighting truss and jumped into the audience. He had bruises, but one womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arm was broken and a man had muscular back pain. He visited them in hospital for six hours blubbering apologies. In Court: the promoter of Lady Gagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Russian show was fined for allowing the singer to, according to the complaint of a 13-year-old fanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, expose her daughter to â&#x20AC;&#x153;propaganda of alcohol consumption and homosexuality.â&#x20AC;? The fine of 20,000 rubles (US$614) is small but it allows the mother to sue for millions for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;psychological harmâ&#x20AC;? of her kid. In Court: Chris Brown has been ordered to return to rehab for a further three months. He threw a brick through his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car window after the two attended counselling together and Ma Brown suggested that Thumper remain in treatment a bit longer. He blew his cool. The rule was that he abstain from violence when he got out, so the brickchucking incident put a rapid stop to that.

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PETER MURPHY CELEBRATES 35YRS OF BAUHAUS PERFORMING SOLELY BAUHAUS MATERIAL

PETER MURPHY MR MOONLIGHT

AUS/NZ DEC 2013 TOUR

WEDNESDAY DEC 11TH MANNING BAR, SYDNEY

Tombowler.com.au

Friday 24th Factory Theatre, Sydney

BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13 :: 15

SIMPLE PLAN

rench-Canadian five-piece Simple Plan do seem to have one simple plan – don’t ever stop. They’ve barely finished riding the tilt-a-whirl of 2011 release Get Your Heart On! and subsequent massive world tour, they’re preparing to head into the studio to begin work on their fifth studio album, and somehow they thought they’d slip an EP in between all that. “We have quite a few songs but we started working on a collection of five to maybe six songs in the studio,” guitarist Jeff Stinco told me but a month ago. “We’re hoping to work that into an EP release [but] I’m not really comfortable giving dates just because we’re the kind of band that’s finished when we’re finished. We don’t put pressure on ourselves – it’s good or it’s not and we release when we’re ready. I really like these songs, they’re somewhat in the vein of the last record but some are pretty adventurous too. I think it’s going to be fun.” Like pure professionals, Simple Plan work fast and only days ago announced that their new EP, Get Your Heart On – The Second Coming!, will be out this week. While Simple Plan have toured relentlessly over the 14-plus years they’ve been together, their output hasn’t always been as rapid as it has of late. 2011’s album was only their fourth full-length release – it feels as though they must have amassed a larger back catalogue than they really have. Still, their musical development was evident throughout Get Your Heart On! and fans are eager to hear where they’ll go next.

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my ideas but… I guess right now, I’m just really happy. There’s material coming soon and right after we do this we’ll start working on the new album as well.” The only problem with dialogue after music has been released is the baggage it attracts via genre labels and sticky music adjectives. While Stinco is an absolute delight in conversation – open, warm, good-humoured with a sprinkle of self-deprecation – he has still been around long enough to have his own frustrations with the industry at large. Once the discussion moves onto reviews and genre labelling, his reservations emerge even through his kind French-Canadian accent and a gentlemanly grace that would charm the hardest of hearts. “I have nothing against journalists and critics – I believe that they are an important part of the process of appreciating music – but there’s something very limiting about tagging a genre to a band’s music,” he says. “When I hear that my band’s a pop-punk band I just want to reference our songs that aren’t at all like that, and I feel there’s a lot of them too. It’s about writing the best songs possible for us and it just so happens we often use a certain sounding guitar or drum to get that.” Of course, these labels often come from necessity. “There’s just so much music out there that people need to somehow make sense of it all,” Stinco says with resignation. “I totally understand that and I do the same thing. There’s very little music out there right now though that is purely one thing. There’s

so much cross-talk between the genres these days and it shows that the close-mindedness has gone. As a music lover I doubt that any serious artist only listens to the genre of the music that they are or were making. I’m pretty sure that Bob Dylan has heard an N.W.A song.” So how do Stinco’s own influences find their way in and out of his creative space? “I think it’s dangerous to push into any level of intellectualisation. Oddly enough on the fourth record the process was so fluid and fun and that reminded me that this whole, crazy adventure started out as a fun thing. We learned the craft of writing and playing and being in the studio, and when you get back to that initial energy and spark – I mean, you can’t go completely back to that – but if you capture it again there’s something very special about that. You need to feel like you’ve written something bigger than what you’ve ever written before and yet have a naive approach to what you’re doing. I really loved our third record, I thought it was a really strong record, but there was a real intellectualisation of the process. Some of the songs became quite heavy because of that and I’m happy we moved away from that process. I’m always scared of using the word ‘organic’ because it’s a word that’s so overused, but we have found a more natural way of doing things.” This “natural way” is a direct result of Simple Plan’s self-sufficient approach to life in the spotlight and as a cog of the industry

“WE LEARNED THE CRAFT OF WRITING AND PLAYING AND BEING IN THE STUDIO … YOU NEED TO FEEL LIKE YOU’VE WRITTEN SOMETHING BIGGER THAN WHAT YOU’VE EVER WRITTEN BEFORE AND YET HAVE A NAIVE APPROACH TO WHAT YOU’RE DOING.”

machine. Since 1999 they’ve had no lineup changes – not many bands can attest to that – and by all accounts are going strong. It’s not just the music they make, the crowds they pull or the fun they have – it’s that they lack arrogance; they’ve learned and learned again and they’ve stayed true to themselves. “We released a book, kind of a retrospective, and it reminded us about how little we understood the music industry and how we were just thrown into a big whirlpool, or cyclone of interviews, shows and travel. We never got to perceive the magnitude of what the band was all about, and at a point I think that lack of knowledge made this band more real and more appreciative of what we have. In this day and age in the industry it’s very fickle. I don’t live in the day-to-day world where I’m dealing with chart positions – I’m dealing with the fans and that’s what I really try to make it about. Social media has really made us able to do that a lot more and when I look at the music industry, I don’t know, it allows us to put records out and play shows but there’s always being something very DIY about this band. “A lot of decisions are made within this band; 99 per cent of the time we’re making the decisions and in the one per cent that we’re not, we’re reacting to something and that’s when you’re not making an entirely free decision. I try to avoid speaking about numbers and I’m really still – it’s hard to say without sounding pretentious – but I’m still in it for the music. During my career I’ve seen so many people in it for the wrong reasons, guys just starting bands to get laid or to make the big bucks, but I’ve also met real artists and those are the guys I look up to and that is what I aim for with this band.” What: Vans Warped Tour With: The Offspring, Parkway Drive, Reel Big Fish, The Used, We Came As Romans and more Where: Barangaroo, Sydney When: Sunday December 1 xxx

“We’re going full prog rock!” laughs Stinco. “Nah, I’m just kidding. I guess I’m excited about it all. There are some changes but maybe that won’t be that clearly noticeable. It’s so tricky, when you’re in the process it’s so dangerous to be talking about the songs because they can take so many turns. You can have a spark of inspiration in the studio and then the whole feel of the songs change. There’s also something about discussing something that’s in the works that kinda stops the process. There’s something better about finishing it and having people hear it and take on their own ideas. I always want to verbalise

SECOND COMING •BY KRISSI WEISS

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THUR DECEMBER 5 THE ANNANDALE HOTEL, SYDNEY with Dead Radio and Making. tickets on sale now from lifeisnoise.com, oztix and the venue

BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13 :: 17

Phil Jamieson Lounge Act To Follow By Krissi Weiss

ith his band Grinspoon holding the illustrious title of first-ever triple j Unearthed, well, anything, Phil Jamieson is a key player in the indie crop that has grown up before our very eyes. From rapscallion rock dog sporting a “F*ck Me I’m Famous” t-shirt at the 2000 Sydney Big Day Out to occasional acoustic solo performer and social media hound, Jamieson has ridden the highs and lows of success with grace. Grinspoon’s trajectory as a band never seemed to falter from their very first release, but Jamieson appeared to jump headfirst into the hedonistic lifestyle of a rock star. It didn’t take him too long to come back

down to earth, though, and what’s left is a man with a long career ahead of him, a whirlwind tale behind him and an awesome sense of humour everpresent. With acoustic guitar in hand Jamieson is setting off on a run of solo shows in NSW and Tasmania, and I have to ask whether the two states were a strategic or circumstantial choice. “They’re the people who were prepared to pay, so I was like, ‘Well that’s cool, I will come to where you want me to be,’” Jamieson says with his first belly laugh. “I thought it would be really cool to do some solo shows in the

lead-up to Christmas and my agent spoke to some venues who were happy to do it, which was really nice. In Tasmania, Grinspoon didn’t get there on the last tour and they were really angry. Tasmania have really fast internet because they have the NBN so when we announced the tour they got really upset, so yeah, it’s interesting that I’m going there by myself. I’m pretty excited, to be honest”. It’s a vulnerable position for Jamieson to place himself in: on an empty stage, under lights, with just himself and a guitar. The energy of a gig like this is a far cry from a

“I’ve been playing guitar in the band for maybe a decade now and I have, like, one pedal – I get confused. Actually, I get confused just singing and playing guitar at the same time as it is. I don’t need to be worrying about looping and all of that. I have a huge admiration for those people, they’re incredible. Those people who do that, they’ve obviously been one-man bands for a long time, but I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a band with an awesome guitarist and a drummer and things like that so I was lucky enough not to have to worry about that. I did buy a loop pedal, but I couldn’t work it.” Singing isn’t a concern, though. Grinspoon have never layered Jamieson’s voice behind a wall of sound. “In Grinners it’s been a clean sound so my voice hasn’t really been

hidden. I’ve been hearing myself for years, man; it’s driving me fuckin’ insane. But yeah, I actually pump a lot of reverb through so, you know, I sound prettier.” A Phil Jamieson solo set is a fluid affair. Nothing’s set in stone apart from the fact he’s not going to bust out a Grinners greatest hits set. “I play it by ear. There was a show I did in Canberra recently, I had a set written down but it wasn’t in any order and people started calling for songs and I was like, ‘Yeeeeah. Let’s play that.’ I don’t really play really popular Grinners songs, they’re just too identifiable. Something like ‘Chemical Heart’, it’s so identifiable to Pat [Davern] and I just feel like if play Grinspoon it has to be something a little more obscure. I’ve been writing some new material, so for this one I’m hoping to play some of that on this tour as well.” While it may seem like a cliche – rock star picking up the acoustic guitar to slow down the pace – Jamieson is actually stretching himself beyond his comfort zone. But for someone who clearly searches for the humour in all, he’s ready to take a stab at the ageing rock star axiom. “I think what’s happening with, whatever we are in this band, is the people who’ve come along for this journey are getting older too. With Nine Inch Nails and Queens [of the Stone Age] coming out, I really like that idea; just two bands touring together, that would be good, not like a huge festival. I was at Splendour this year and it took me three weeks to recover! Oh my God, I can’t handle it anymore.”

xxx

“I get confused just singing and playing guitar at the same time as it is. I don’t need to be worrying about looping and all of that.”

Grinspoon show – are there ever any nerves? “God, when you say it like that, you’re painting a picture,” he laughs again. “I started doing this about two years ago and I was incredibly anxious about doing it so I brought a friend with me who played guitar and helped me and got my confidence. Then I worked out exactly what I wanted to do. When I first started doing it I didn’t really know what I wanted to do or how I wanted to do it, how I would tour it or what songs I wanted to do – would I do Grinspoon stuff or whatever – but now I’m a lot more comfortable. It’s still fairly nerve-wracking at times, depending on the audience though. I’ve played places when it’s their buck’s night when I have to explain to them it’s not a Grinspoon unplugged gig. I don’t sample any drums, it’s just me and a guitar, I’m not beatboxing…” he trails off, losing his point as it gives way to further laughter. Obviously breaking it down isn’t a Jamieson party trick.

With: Jackson McLaren Where: Lizotte’s, Dee Why When: Thursday December 5

Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier Looking For Answers By Alasdair Duncan

eautiful things often come from times of turmoil. This was most certainly the case for Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier – when the long-time musical collaborators, who are also a married couple, released the exquisite folk album Stories Of Ghosts earlier this year, it had come from a lot of pain and spiritual exploration. The album saw the pair exploring their Jewish heritage in response to a series of great personal tragedies. “For our last album, Half Man Half Woman, we wrote a song called ‘Take Pity On The Beast’, which takes some lines from the Haggadah, a book of prayer that we read at Passover,” says Conway. “The Haggadah tells the story of Exodus, but it’s also a discussion of all the arguments and debates that rabbis have had for millennia – in Judaism, there’s nothing too precious or sacred to question. After we wrote the song, we felt like this [was] something that we could explore a lot more, creatively.” The songs on Stories Of Ghosts were born from this sense of curiosity, but also from a desire to make sense of the world following the deaths of several close friends and family members. “Around the time we were writing the songs on the album, we had a lot of death in our lives,” Conway explains, “some of it timely, and some of it not. My father died in November of 2011,

and both Willy’s parents died in the years prior to that. There was another family death which was very hard and not timely at all, and there were other deaths – friends of mine had taken their own lives, and a friend of my daughter’s took her own life, a 15-year-old girl.” It was incredibly hard and a very dreadful period, Conway says. “We were living in a house of perpetual mourning and shock. When our parents died, we were able to accept that some things are timely, but with a lot of the others we just could not. We were trying to make sense of what it is that holds people to the earth. If you’ve thrown out everything that used to make sense to people, like the tenets of religion, what else is there that makes people stick around? Those are highfalutin words, I guess, but we were trying to work through those things ourselves, and they came out in the songs. Composing becomes cathartic … You still mourn, but you take those bad feelings and turn them into something positive and creative, as opposed to just sitting there in your sadness and doing nothing.” In December, Conway and Zygier will perform at Shir Madness, Sydney’s Jewish music festival. For the uninitiated, Conway promises a colourful event, with many different styles and flavours of music. “You can hear everything there, from

18 :: BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13

very traditional klezmer music, to our kind of thing – our folk songs that examine Old Testament themes from an atheist Jewish perspective. We have Israelis coming out, who play everything from reggae to more traditional classical music, and even Kinky

Friedman is coming out.” Quite apart from the music, Conway promises that the food is a big draw. “The classic sign of a Jewish festival is that there’s plenty of food and nobody standing in line at the drink stall, and from the back, everyone looks like Larry David.”

What: Shir Madness With: Joshua Nelson, Nathan Kaye, Rapskallion, Adam Katz and more Where: Bondi Pavilion When: Sunday December 1 xxx

“Composing becomes cathartic … You still mourn, but you take those bad feelings and turn them into something positive and creative”.

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Cave In So Deep By Augustus Welby or slow down, that’s a hard thing to do and everybody’s got to stay focused, whereas it’d be easy if only half the band did that and half of us were just noodling around doing a solo or something.” Next month Cave make their first trip to Australia. According to Crain, their live shows generally allow them to relax into the songs and conjure a sensually gripping sonic atmosphere. “After I know a part, after I know what to do and it’s all based off of sound and how it feels with my hands, it’s easy for me to get immersed in it. I feel like I do at every show, at some point in the show or multiple times. Something will lock us in and I think if it locks us in and it keeps it interesting for us, our goal is that it keeps it interesting for the audience as well.”

ver the course of four records, Chicagobased quartet Cave have proven themselves capable of generating an immersive listening experience with a very structured approach to instrumental rock. The band’s new record, Threace, again demonstrates characteristic precision. However, guitarist/organist Cooper Crain explains that a number of songs on the album were developed in the studio out of a fragmentary conceptual basis. “We had more concepts and ideas as opposed to songs,” he says. “Most of the time it’s just like, ‘We’ve got a bunch of songs, let’s go and record them.’ This time it was a little different in the sense that, ‘We’ve got some songs and then a bunch of ideas, let’s go in and record the songs and then work on the ideas.’” Cave have been together for over seven years and communication between the band members has become fairly intuitive, allowing them to reasonably infer what each other is thinking. Thanks to the group’s increased mutual understanding they’ve gained confidence in the fruits of their more spontaneous explorations.

Cave photo by Chris Olsen

“When it comes down to us all playing things, definitely it starts to click a lot faster these days than it did four years ago,” says Crain. “There’s a few songs on this new record where more or less what you hear on the record is the first or second or third take of just us improvising something. [By] now we’ve learned it and we’ve played it and we’ve structured it a little more by editing, but I think that’s what we were trying to capture – just the pure sense of us playing in a room.” It can be difficult to put your faith in material that appears without any major effort, but Crain suggests a spur-of-the-moment outburst can give rise to songs with just as much depth as those that are laboured over. “There’s songs that we’ve toured on for six months and [they’re] still not done, and we’ve made all these various endings or parts in the middle that we’ve taken in and out or deconstructed or rearranged for months on end. Then there’s ones where we’re like, ‘Everybody feels good right now in this room and the mics are up

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“There’s a few songs on this new record where more or less what you hear … is the first or second or third take of just us improvising something.” What: Threace out now through Twelve Suns/ Rocket Where: Annandale Hotel When: Thursday December 5

and it sounds cool, let’s play,’ and it’s almost equally as nice to hear. It all comes back to one point, being [if] it feels natural.” Evidently Cave songs can originate in a variety of ways, be it a vaguely instructive brainstorm or a rough individual outline that the rest of the group sets towards realising. “Nobody ever comes to a rehearsal or a studio day with a whole song written out but somebody might have a beat or a riff or a pattern and everybody will go off of that. Or it’s just like, ‘Let’s go in there with some words written down on a piece of paper that says ‘Put mic over here,’ and then we hear how it sounds.” Even though the band is increasingly willing to incorporate improvisation into its compositions, Crain says there remains a structured basis to the musical interaction. “Because we’ve all played with each other for a while, we understand that it’s probably going to be rhythmic, it’s probably going to be repetitive and it’s probably going to be based off a groove or a riff.” Borne out of these processes, Threace is characterised by a lack of clutter, and the record’s circulating arrangements frequently induce a meditative state. Cave have opened up more space in their music with each consecutive release and Crain emphasises that the band is determined not to meander into rock cliche. “For us there’s always a time and place for somebody to step out and lead something, but when it comes down to the core of the group it’s everybody trying to play as simple and as open as we can, which most of the time for us is not always about a lead or somebody doing an obvious thing. It’s about building the tension and getting the audience locked in and immersed and seeing how far it goes.” Adhering to such an aesthetic of restraint could be challenging, particularly considering Cave songs often follow a core rhythmic motif or guitar riff for upwards of seven minutes. Crain admits a good deal of patience is required to satisfy their artistic agenda. “If it does variate and it builds tension, and it might speed up

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Mikelangelo Modern Masterpieces By Jesse Hayward

ikelangelo’s personality and charm is evident even over a bad phone line. In his latest shows the celebrated entertainer is performing a selection of albums from great musicians including Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash. “I’ve got a thousand ideas swirling through my head at any given time,” says Mikelangelo. “And some of them come to fruition and others don’t. I thought I’d quite like to play some of the albums I used to listen to as a child. So I picked up the phone and called a venue that I like here in Melbourne called The Old Bar and said, ‘How would you feel about a residency?’ It was just such a pleasure, it came together very easily.” It is an ambitious project – how does one do justice to these legends and their music? “In a way, because I’d listened to them so much, even if it was years ago, they’re all embedded in me. I think the challenge is how to relax and play my own version. It’s been surprising how creative the process of performing someone else’s song is. Unless you have your own style you’re just going to sound like you’re doing a shit version of that song. The only way as an artist you can bring anything original is being comfortable with your own voice. We’re all doing similar

things to what has been done for many years before us.” Mikelangelo remembers falling asleep to each of these albums, their music serving as a gateway to his dreams. According to Thoreau, dreams are the touchstones of our characters. What then of Mikelangelo’s character? “I think I used to fall asleep to [Nick Cave’s] ‘The Carny’. And my theory, years later, is that sleeping to this album it’s like you’re dreaming through this strange world. That must affect the nature of how your art ends up coming out.” ‘The Carny’ is one of Cave’s more unique songs, a story of a bleak carnival funeral for a horse named Sorrow. The album on which it’s found, Your Funeral… My Trial, is a dark and melancholic collection of music. “I used to listen to a lot of really intense loud music when I was young, so that album was almost like the beautiful album that I would listen to. Even though it gets rackety in the middle of the album it starts quite beautifully and ends quite beautifully. ‘The Carny’ has always been an inspiring track. I remember seeing Cave in the late ’80s at the Enmore and they played that and I was just like, ‘Wow.’ Even though I mostly play guitar I pick up the accordion for that one and play like an accordion waltz.”

Apart from his Classic Albums Series dates, Mikelangelo will soon also be busy with his band, the Black Sea Gentlemen, fi lming scenes for their upcoming television collaboration with writer Elliot Perlman. “The Black Sea Gentlemen have been going for 13 years and we’ve done a lot of touring and shows in theatres. Even though we all came from a rock background, that group has always had a very strong performance base as well as a musical base. So there’s a whole mythological narrative behind the show that doesn’t always appear onstage, but it does inform the show, so it’s fertile for taking beyond the stage. We walk that fi ne line of truth and fi ction, which I fi nd incredibly enjoyable. “Maybe we’ll become TV stars or maybe we’ll become roadkill on the side of the TV highway. It’s certainly an interesting project to be doing.” What: Classic Albums Series: Mikelangelo plays Tom Waits’ Franks Wild Years and Leonard Cohen’s Songs Of Love And Hate Where: The Camelot Lounge When: Thursday November 28

Ian Ball The Cost Of Living By David James Young

ho would have guessed that perhaps the most softly spoken member of evergreen UK troubadours Gomez would have such a wicked sense of humour? After announcing that he had “just cracked the first beer of the day,” Ian Ball is excited and chatty. Within the first few minutes of the conversation, he has jumped from rock parenting (“I’m going to introduce my six year old to Motorhead today!”), to what his six-year-old son listens to otherwise (“It’s just Katy Perry from six in the morning to eight o’clock at night”), to what Ball himself was listening to at the same age (“When I was six, my dad took me to see Whitesnake – fuck yeah!”). It’s almost as if Ball has somehow forgotten there’s a new album to discuss – that being his second solo release, Unfold Yourself. Then again, the album came so naturally to Ball it must be easy to put out of mind. “It was such a great record to be involved in,” he says, finally swerving the conversation toward the very purpose of this interview. “I hope that the feeling of that comes out. There’s a lot going on sonically, but it doesn’t feel

overstuffed at all. There’s a lot of sounds and shapes. It feels right. I’m really into it.” One of the most interesting aspects of Unfold Yourself was that its creation was somewhat of a happy accident. Originally working on compositions for what Ball describes as an “ambient sort of record,” the songs took a surprising change once they were given a few extra ingredients. “I was trying to do something calm and mellow. That’s the kind of thing I like to listen to the most when I’ve come back from a long day working or coming back from playing a show. Just give me something slow and mellow, y’know? I just couldn’t help it, though. I started hearing killer melodies that would go along with what I had… and then I was just writing songs again. “It was kind of a process that was done in a totally different way to what I’m used to. None of the songs on the album were written by just sitting down with my guitar or my piano – it was all borne out of bits of snippets and little bits of music that my cohorts and I had made; just little minute-long things here and there. We threw

them around, pieced them together and threw all this crazy shit on top. It’s funny, because they ended up sounding like ‘regular’ songs. They sound nothing like the way they were created.” Ball is bringing these brand new songs to audiences across Australia roughly a year after Gomez’s Quinceanera tour, and a matter of months after bandmate Ben Ottewell visited for a similarly extensive run of dates. It begs the question: is there some kind of conspiracy going on wherein Gomez can never truly leave Australia? “I think so!” says Ball cheerfully. “And why not? We’ve got so many good friends over there, we’ve played so many good shows there. It’s nuts how much love that goes ’round there, especially for a band that’s not from there and isn’t particularly successful.” He does, however, raise a single qualm: “The last few times I’ve been to Australia, it’s been like, ‘Can I have some toothpaste and a banana?’ and you guys have been like, ‘Sure, mate – twenty bucks!’ It’s so expensive down there. I have no idea how any of you are still alive!”

What: Unfold Yourself out now through Dispensary Records/Stop Start With: Davey Lane Where: Annandale Hotel When: Thursday November 28

Metz Keeping It Real By Blake Gallagher we all had a pretty distinct idea of what we wanted to get down on tape,” says Edkins. “We love noise and ugly stuff but we also love pop music, so we tried to mix the two in a way that felt natural to all three of us. We’re pretty happy with how it turned out in the end.” Organic songwriting and delivery have been at the band’s cornerstone since the start, reveals Edkins. “I think it’s just that we play honest music,” he replies when I ask about creating the sort of wild atmosphere that Metz shows frequently foster. “We try to beat the hell out of our instruments. I think these songs, if you play them any other way they don’t sound right, so it becomes almost necessary – we want it to come across the way it’s supposed to sound. It’s full on.”

ince their 2010 inception, birthed from a shared love of hardcore acts on labels like Dischord, noisy Ontario trio Metz have garnered a reputation for intense live performances. “Unfortunately, you can’t really chill out and look cool when you’re playing this kind of music,” laughs guitarist/vocalist Alex Edkins down the phone line. Edkins is currently in the studio with his bandmates recording for a follow-up to their

brilliant, self-titled 2012 debut. Brimming with punk and noise rock ferocity while lathered in eccentric pop sensibilities and post-punk undertones, the album was met with widespread acclaim following its release late last year. Influences ranged from the punk acts they grew up on to more left-field acts like This Heat and The Birthday Party, striking a balance between exuberance and experimentation that makes the Metz sound incredibly difficult to pigeonhole. “I think

Australian crowds will get their first taste of the live Metz experience come December, the trio playing a pair of headline club shows in Sydney and Melbourne respectively before capping off the brief run with a slot at the inaugural edition of new Perth festival Slanted and Enchanted. Joining them will be the likes of TV Colours, Batpiss and Deep Heat, supports hand-picked by the headliners themselves. The group has been touring off the back of the first LP for roughly ten months now,

playing basements, clubs and festivals everywhere from their native Toronto to all over the US and Europe, and sparking crowd responses equally as intense and visceral as their own performances everywhere they go. “We try and have as much fun as possible when we play and that tends to rub off on the crowd. We played some pretty manic ones in Spain where you really just can’t believe what you’re seeing, people were going crazy”. For their part, though, Metz want you to connect with their music however you see fit; be it limbs flying or a more observational approach. “We’re cool with whatever. Sometimes people respond physically and that’s awesome; we love that, because it’s a direct and immediate correlation when people are moving and dancing. Some people see it more academically and like to hang back and chill. Either works for us. Live music for me is all about having some kind of back and forth with the audience, hopefully giving something to them they can be excited about. It’s all about how people react in an honest way.” With: TV Colours, Batpiss Where: Goodgod Small Club When: Wednesday December 4 And: Metz out now on Sub Pop/Inertia Xxx

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arts frontline

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arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Lily White

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five minutes WITH

THEATRESPORTS GRAND FINAL TIX! WIN! What the Ashes are to Australian and English cricketers, the Cranston Cup is to Theatresports competitors Australia wide. After competing throughout the year in their respective university leagues, four Theatresports teams – Yay! It’s Pat Magee and Friends, Middle Rage, Bridie of Frankensteen and Hans and Otto – remain to fi ght it out for the cup. Taking the stage at Enmore Theatre on November 30, the event is MC’d by Jim “Noble Lord” Fishwick, and will showcase some of the best improvisational comedians this country has to offer.

RICHARD BRIGGS

lux: Streets Of Surry Hills is the latest body of work by architect-artist Richard Briggs. At the core of Briggs’ artistic agenda is an observation of the relationships between buildings, public spaces and people. We caught five with the artist before he unveils his latest works to the public next week. Tell us about your background in drawing and what inspires your work. My background in drawing began early, according to my mum, who remembers me sketching buildings from 2 years old. Drawing has always been a part of my life but it was during a trip through India in 2004 when I put down the camera and picked up a pen and paper instead, that it really started to evolve. I studied architecture in England and currently run my own design practice in Sydney, and through my artwork I can explore my interest in the built environment. The process of observing, recording, and interpreting our surroundings in different ways inspires me. I’m also inspired

by the relationships between buildings, streetscapes, how people use spaces, and their relationships to the smaller details such as road markings and my particular favourite, signage. What interests you about the urban environment and Surry Hills in particular? My interest in the urban environment comes from my architectural background, but I also feel passionate about how spaces can create different atmospheres within a city. For example there is a vast difference between a dark alley with an abandoned shopping trolley to a vibrant city square, however both can be read as interesting spaces. When deciding what to draw, I try to get to know an area before any drawings are started. Surry Hills interests me in particular, and in 2005 when I was working in the area I had the chance to study the streets for sometime before completing my first series of drawings. How important is contrast to your practice? Contrast is

THIS TIME IT’S PERSONAL

On Thursday November 28, SUNSTUDIOS Australia is presenting its fourth instalment of annual exhibition, This Time It’s Personal. Representing leading fashion and advertising photographers, SUNSTUDIOS aims to offer insight into the personal work of those often working in a commercial capacity. Photographers presenting include Derek Henderson, Hugh Stewart, Juli Balla, Liz Ham, Nick Bowers, Paul Westlake and Steve Chee among others. Head to sunstudiosaustralia.com for further details.

SFF 2014 SUBMISSIONS OPEN

Filmmakers at the ready because submissions for the 61st instalment of Sydney Film Festival are now open. Submissions for the Festival are being accepted through FilmFestivalLife and will close on Thursday February 27, 2014. Next year’s program will also mark the 45th year of the Australian short film competition, making it the oldest short film competition in Australia. Submissions are welcome in feature, documentary and short film format across all

important. It’s interesting to see the old façade of the abandoned Hopetoun Hotel against the surrounding restaurants and the bikes lanes, which have evolved and changed the streetscape, representing the static versus the fluid. How will Surry Hills locals and those foreign to the area experience Flux: Streets Of Surry Hills differently? Hopefully the locals will say ‘I know this place or I remember that building’ and those foreign to the area will say ‘I’d like to get to know this place’. The work should appeal to anyone but be recognisable to those who know the area.

Festival categories. Head to sff.org.au for full eligibility criteria and submission details. Sydney Film Festival 2014 runs from June 4-15.

Any exciting future projects we should know about? A very mixed bag, from a potential piece of public artwork with a local council and possibly an exhibition similar to this one at Surry Hills library next year, to designing a school in Timor-Leste. All these projects keep me on my toes and happy as long as I have a pen in my hand. What: Flux: Streets Of Surry Hills Where: Desmond & Molly Jones Hairdressing, 98 Albion St, Surry Hills When: Tuesday December 3 More: richardbriggs.com.au

Hans & Otto

Tropfest

TINO SEHGAL AT AGNSW

For its 29th instalment, Kaldor Public Art Projects will present a performance work by Anglo-German artist Tino Sehgal. Running from February 6-23 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, This Is So Contemporary will make its Australian debut after receiving critical acclaim at the 2005 Venice Biennale. The artist orchestrates audience engagement through dance, voice and movement as well as philosophical and economic discussion and with This Is So Contemporary Sehgal focuses on live encounters with gallery-goers. “Sehgal’s works open our eyes to a radical new way to engage with art and that must be experienced to be fully understood,” says John Kaldor. And Kaldor really does mean what he says – no official documentation exists of Sehgal’s work given that photography and filming are forbidden during his performances to ensure no material trace is left. Visit artgallery.nsw. gov.au for further information.

Hiromi Tango

TROPFEST FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Our favourite short film festival, Tropfest, has announced the 16 filmmakers making up this year’s finalist lineup. Finalists include: Spencer and Lloyd Harvey, Rachel Lane, Steven Woodburn, Don Percy, Matt Hardie, Claude Gonzalez, Carl Sorheim, John Marsh, Julian Lucas, Kaiya Jones, Adrian Cabrie, Martin Sharpe, Ruben Pracas, Ben Davies, Dimitri Ellerington and Tom Abood. Telling a range of stories centred on love, sexuality, war, death, immigration, addiction and ageing, Tropfest Founder and Director John Polson was impressed by the quality of entrants. “We are thrilled by the strength, creativity and originality of the films submitted. The ideas, influences and filmmaking approaches are never the same – and that’s been no different this time around,” he said. Tropfest happens at on Sunday December 8 at Centennial Park. Head to tropfest.com for more information.

DECEMBER AT MOP

SULLIVAN+STRUMPF 2014 SEASON

Fine art dispensary Sullivan+Strumpf has introduced three new artists – Liam O’Brien, Hiromi Tango and Daniel Templeman – to its stable whose work will represent as part of the gallery’s 2014 season. Local program highlights include and exhibition of Hiromi Tango’s sculptural collections from May 3-31 and a showcase of Darren Sylvester’s narrative-driven photography which will be on display from June 10 through July 5. Sullivan+Strumpf will also represent internationally with Joanna Lamb and Sam Jinks presenting new work at Art Stage Singapore from January 16-19, and Sam Leach representing at ART14 London from February 28 through March 2. And interstate-wise, the gallery will show off artists Tony Albert, Ex De Medici and Alex Seton at the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art from March 1 through May 11. Visit sullivanstrumpf.com for more information.

NIDA’S GRADUATING DIRECTORS’ SEASON

Reckon you’ve the eye for spotting the hottest emerging talent on the performing arts scene? If your answer was ‘yes’, then listen up. The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is presenting its season of Directors’ productions to showcase 2013 graduating students from the Institute’s one-year postgraduate Directing course. Comprising six plays, the season is divided into two concurrent programs, the Studio Program and the Space Program. The

lineup? George Bernard Shaw’s The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet directed by Constantine Costi, Christopher Harley’s In A Pink Tutu directed by Angus Wilkinson, Steve Martin’s WASP directed by H Lawrence Summer, Emma Rice’s adaptation of The Red Shoes directed by Elsie Edgerton-Till, Martin Crimp’s Fewer Emergencies directed by Susanna Dowling and Ben Schostakowski’s Klutz directed by the writer himself. NIDA’s Graduating Directors’ Season runs from November 27-30 at NIDA Parade Theatres. Head to nida.edu.au for more information and tickets.

THE YEOMANS PROJECT

PA Yeomans was an Australian inventor, farmer, engineer and educator. And now he’s the subject of a new exhibition by Ian Milliss and Lucas Ihlein showing at the Art Gallery of NSW from November 28 through January 27. Although never calling himself an artist, Yeomans explored ideas surrounding the environment, education and participation. From the ’50s onwards, he applied these ideas in the context of his various sustainable farming projects. In The Yeomans Project reflects Milliss and Ihlein reflect on the inventor’s contribution and influence on artists working today by showcasing a selection of early publications and writings, photographs, illustrations, documentary films, education videos and contributions by invited artists. For further details, visit artgallery.nsw.gov.au. thebrag.com

Xxxxx

December at MOP Projects sees contemporary artist Darryn Ansted’s Labyrinths reconfigure the Australian landscape into ‘architectonic’ paintings and Harriet Body document traces of action in Earth Mark. Ansted extends his recent examination of the ruinous post-industrial landscape of Leipzig in painting and folded curved planes. Also riffing on landscape themes, Body’s Earth Mark is a series of works on paper that exist as markers of past experiences. Of particular interest is the fashion in which Body works – in her studio the artist makes clay from the earth in the garden, which is combined with dried grass to create abstract sculptural works on paper. These works are then set on fire in order to leave smoke and burn marks on the paper. Both exhibitions run from December 4-21. For more information and artist bios, head to mop.org.au.

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We’ve got two double passes to give away. For your chance to win head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us which Australian politician you would like to see compete for the Cranston Cup and why.

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Lift [VIDEO] Performing The Everyday By Adam Norris

ideo installations are a difficult sell. While Hollywood has certainly stretched how long people are willing to sit in a dark room full of strangers, it hasn’t really translated to your typical art gallery patron. To wander a museum and find yourself midpoint through a video with no immediate context is a challenge. With her most recent work, Lift, running at 14 minutes, it’s a concern artist Kate Murphy is well aware of. “It’s a gamble,” she admits. “Most people will stand in front of a painting for a few seconds before walking on, and that’s no different to video. It’s about capturing your viewer, and with my work I make it so there’s no real beginning, middle or end. The viewer can enter the space at any point and get something from it. I do love the idea that the viewer can, in a gallery setting, engage with the work for as long as they want and then have the ability to return on a different day to engage some more. It really appeals to me, as does the multiple screen form, which a lot of my work takes on and is something I wouldn’t be able to do in a cinema.” The big challenge isn’t simply sustaining an audience’s interest. The practicalities of visiting an art gallery mean that often people simply don’t have enough time to endure a complete video. “It’s an ongoing frustration. As an artist

I’ll always sit there and watch as long as I’m getting something out of it,” says Murphy. “My latest survey show features six works, which is over an hour viewing. You know, a person probably won’t go into a museum with an hour up there sleeve to sit and watch them all. Most people are in and out, trying to get around the gallery and see all the different works. With Lift, even if you were just there watching it for thirty seconds, I hope that the viewer will get what my motives are.” It’s difficult to imagine visitors not being struck by Lift. An elderly naked woman sits suspended by a great mechanical arm while singing a simple song full of sunshine and brightness. It’s at once gentle and dispassionate, something grimly reassuring. The genesis of the piece came from Murphy’s experiences with nursing homes. In watching these sufferers of dementia – witnessing the decline of mobility and the tragic loss of identity – Murphy became fascinated by the element of performance that began to surface. “I was really interested in the performance of the everyday in a nursing home,” she says, “I was looking at anybody there with these uncontrollable movements, and knowing that they were someone – that they [had] had a career. With dementia they often go back to a

Kate Murphy, Lift Lift,, 2013, single-channel video installation time when they were in their prime, often around the ’50s, romancing and courting, and that often involved dance or song. So I thought, what if the woman was once a dancer? I wanted to capture that repetitive movement and the machine dictating her choreography in a way. It’s like the machine is her dance partner, something she’s completely dependent on.” Though there are of course few silver linings to be found for those living with dementia, Murphy does raise a compelling point you feel is close to the heart of Lift. “The song [from Lift] is actually from a woman I met in a nursing home

in a very demented state, and she just sings. It’s really beautiful in a way. As family of those who suffer from dementia we say it can be kind, and for this woman, she’d gone to a place of song. She just sings all day and this is one of the songs. Brighten up your day / let the sunshine in. I was struck by that.” What: Lift by Kate Murphy Where: Breenspace When: November 29 – December 21 More: breenspace.com

Cinderella [BALLET] New Twist On An Old Tale By Alasdair Duncan Amy Harris in Cinderella

his month, The Australian Ballet presents a bold take on a familiar classic, when choreographer Alexei Ratmansky takes on Prokofiev’s beloved Cinderella. Ratmansky is a former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet and current resident of the American Ballet Theatre – his style combines classical and modern techniques in electrifying fashion, and his take on Cinderella is a surrealist visual delight. Senior dancer Amy Harris plays the role of the Evil Step Mother in the production, and as she tells it, dancing with a choreographer of Ratmansky’s calibre is something of a dream come true. “We were all really looking forward to working with him,” she says. “He came in with a very clear vision of what he wanted, and he’s created a wonderful, unique vision of the ballet.”

“I don’t necessarily think of myself as an evil person, but it’s fun to take on a character like that!” she laughs. “She and the step sisters are usually together, and they’re a big part of the story – we’re in it from beginning to end, wearing bright red costumes and elaborate wigs, and generally making life hard for Cinderella. My character is quite terrible to Cinderella and there are few moments in the ballet I find quite hard to do. For instance, my character takes a portrait of Cinderella’s mother, rips it to pieces and kicks it around. That’s a pretty dreadful thing to do, and I’ve found it a challenge to be that evil, but Alexei has given us a lot of freedom to explore our characters, and think about how we want to portray them. He lets us put our own flavours in, I guess – he trusted us to create the ballet alongside him.” It stands to reason that many people are most familiar with the Disney version of the Cinderella story, and I ask Harris about some of the key differences between this particular take on the

tale and the ballet. “The most obvious thing is that we don’t have the carriage or the mice from the Disney version,” she says. “Those things are quite significant parts of the film, but the ballet doesn’t have them. In terms of what Alexei has done, though, he’s linked all the pieces of the story together in incredibly clever ways. Some people may be shocked that the ballet doesn’t have some of those Disney elements, but I personally don’t think anything is missing at all.” Harris herself has been a Senior Artist with The Australian Ballet for two years now, and working with Ratmansky is just one in a series of recent career highlights. “I was fortunate enough last year to take out the Telstra Ballet Dancer Of The Year Award,” she says, “and this year, I’ll be there when the 2013 winner is announced at the opening night of Cinderella in Sydney. Winning that award was definitely the cherry on top of a great couple of years, and down the line, I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into some great three-act ballets as principal.” What: Cinderella by The Australian Ballet Where: Sydney Opera House When: November 29 – December 18 More: australianballet.com.au

Cinderella photo by Jeff Busby

The Australian Ballet’s Cinderella is a visual feast, with spectacular and surreal costumes and set designs. Getting it all perfect, however, has been quite a challenge. “Alexei’s definitely versed in classical technique, but his movements are also quite full and modern, in the way that they require a lot of upper-body and lower-leg movement,” Harris continues. “For me personally, it’s quite a marathon, doing the movements and getting through all the costume changes that the ballet requires.

It’s been full-on, but it’s really rewarding. Cinderella is quite comic and quite lighthearted and we’ve all really lost ourselves in our roles.” Of course, for Harris, the role of Cinderella’s evil step mother comes with its own unique set of challenges.

The Pin Up Parlor [BURLESQUE] The Roaring ’20s By Alasdair Duncan

The next Pin Up Parlor is all about the roaring ‘20s, and how the women of the era created a liberating movement through their beauty and risqué performances. “There’s something about the women of that era that really appeals to me,” Vine explains. “Women were different shapes and sizes back then and didn’t necessarily have to show a lot of skin to be

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sexy. I mean, you could if you wanted to, but back then it was all about the tease, versus now, when it’s all about the body. A lot of the women who performed in vaudeville were making strong political statements, but doing so in a funny way. They were being naughty and mostly getting away with it, but the key part is that they were having fun while doing it. I just think that ultimately, it’s all about that – if you’re not doing that, then why are you doing it?” The show itself features a series of cabaret and burlesque performances, in a venue specially decorated by Gigi and Betty, overflowing with art of all kinds. “This year, the room is broken into the four seasons,” Vine explains. “You’ll be sitting in an area that looks like spring, say, or one that looks like winter, decorated with Betty’s props and dressings. We also have living statues – we’re working with a group of women by the name of The Sirens, and they’ll be adding to this magical garden type atmosphere. We wondered how we could take this idea into the 21st century, so we commissioned a series of skateboard decks, which will be hanging on the walls at the show – the design on each one draws on the art deco style.” Each of the artists and dancers involves brings their own interpretation of 1920s style, Vine

continues. “We have a really broad range of people contributing,” she says, “from street artists to tattoo artists and typographers, all putting their own spin on the ’20s and art deco. Each one of the live performers has picked a season with its own colour to go along with it. The girls are drawing on period figures like Zelda Fitzgerald. One of our dancers, Bunni Lambada is drawing on Sally Rand, who was one of the first burlesque performers, and was famous for her massive ostrich feather fan. We have two performers, Cody Cabana and Dolly Rocket, who are doing an ode to the Dolly Sisters, flapper dancers from the ’20s, but we’re bridging the old and the new by using a remixed version of an old swing song. It all sounds pretty wild,” she says, “but when all these elements come together on the night, it’s spectacular.”

Bella Louche

Pin Up Parlor - Bella Louche photo by Dusk Devi

he Pin Up Parlor is more than just a burlesque show or a cabaret – it’s an all-encompassing experience, taking in all manner of performance and visual art, mixing it all together and serving it up like a big, decadent cocktail. The next one of these lush and lavish events, in early December, draws on the women of the 1920s for inspiration. As organiser and co-founder Gigi Vine explains, putting these Pin Up Parlor events on is a true labour of love. “I do the events with my sister Betty Belle,” she explains. “We grew up together with a mutual interest in vintage fashion, which is really where this whole thing started. Betty is a visual artist and designer, whereas I’m a performer and choreographer. I entered and won the Miss Classic Pin Up Australia competition few years ago, and Betty has an interest in vintage tattoo art – she’s a living artwork, that girl. This show is all our interests coming together.”

What: The Pin Up Parlor Where: The Standard When: Sunday December 1 More: facebook.com/the.pinip.parlor / wearethestandard.com.au

thebrag.com

Film Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen around town

■ Film

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE In cinemas now

Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, a former Hunger Games victor.

■ Film

Haylie Pretorius

In cinemas now Bad Grandpa is the latest in the Jackass film stable – and I use the term ‘film’ loosely. The on camera antics of the film’s cast – think Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll and Greg Harris among others – are not dissimilar to what one might expect from elaborate Funniest Home Videos footage.

■ Film

AUSTENLAND In cinemas November 28

Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire In The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, we re-enter the post-apocalyptic world of Panem where we find Hunger Games winners Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) on an excruciating publicity tour to celebrate their success at the 74th Annual Hunger Games. But, what starts out as a fame-seeking mission, much to the dismay of the two humble teens, ends up being another battle for survival against the inexorable brutality that is the Hunger Games arena. Based on the popular young adult trilogy by author Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire is thrilling and gratifying right to the very end. Director Francis Lawrence and screenwriters Michael Arndt and Simon Beaufoy use the majority of the first half of the film to depict the cruel connotations of being a celebrity, even in a post-apocalyptic world. It’s bad enough Katniss and Peeta have to smile pretty for the cameras in front of all the enslaved districts under Panem but to makes things worse, President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) is forcing the pair to pretend they’re in love as punishment for defying the rules of the 74th Annual Hunger Games. In collaboration with the Hunger Games master of ceremonies, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Snow tries to eliminate both Katniss and Peeta to put an end to the brewing rebellion by forcing them to compete in the 75th Annual Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell. Will Katniss and Peeta enjoy the sweet smell of success yet again, or will Snow be the victor this time ’round? Even those who haven’t read any of the novels or seen the first movie will relish in the power and exhilaration that is at play throughout Catching Fire. While the plotline is tantalising to say the least, the strength of this film lies in the characters. Lawrence is striking as the stoic Katniss, as is Hutcherson in his portrayal of the strong yet unpretentious Peeta. Standout supporting roles include Hoffman as the eerie master of ceremonies, Elizabeth Banks as the bubbly tour chaperone Effie Trinket, and Woody

Bad Grandpa

BAD GRANDPA

Austenland Jane Austen fans beware. Do not watch this film. For years, us Austen fans have seen Mr Darcy spread very thin across many forms of entertainment and Austenland was no exception of this despoiling behaviour. The film, produced by Twilight author Stephanie Meyer and directed by Napoleon Dynamite co-writer Jerusha Hess, comprised a stellar cast who were utterly wasted on such a disgraceful and obvious story. The heroine Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) had always wanted to find a handsome suitor who carried all the attributes of a classic Austen man. She packed her bags and bought a ticket to Austenland in search of him. Her limited funds meant she entered her fantasy land on a budget and wasn’t cast in a leading role. And instead of finding Mr Darcy she found the stable boy. It was at this point that Austenland could have become interesting and relevant, but instead it became cliché and dramatically boring.

Nonetheless Bad Grandpa is the most film-like of all the Jackass movies so far. And unlike previous incarnations in the ‘don’t try this at home’ genre, this effort has a unique feature – a plot. Knoxville plays Irving Zisman, an 87-year-old widower determined to grow old disgracefully, while driving across America to ditch his eight-year-old grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) with his irresponsible son-in-law. It’s along this journey that the anticipated high jinks and practical jokes are unfurled on an unsuspecting public. While it would be kind to call the plot tenuous, having a storyline somehow does manage to add another dimension to the laughs. If you can suspend your disbelief long enough, that is. This proves challenging, particularly during Grandpa Irving and Billy’s interactions in the car. These scenes act

The highlight by far is the beauty pageant scene in which Billy, complete with long blond tresses, performs a seemingly inappropriate strip tease. While the irony in the audience’s disgust is priceless, it feels like this moral subtext may just be a happy coincidence.

it or not this prank-fuelled flick actually makes some interesting and poignant comments on society and social responsibility. If only taken at face value, however, Bad Grandpa also has the ability to isolate and oppress certain groups while reinforcing stereotypes. As nice as it is sitting in a theatre full laughter, it’s confronting to ponder whether everyone’s laughing at the same thing.

And that’s the greatest worry with these films. Believe

Lee Hutchison

as literal and metaphorical vehicles to get us to the next stunt and fail to add any value.

This romantic comedy did manage to make others laugh and there were moments when characters shone. Jane Seymour performed Mrs Wattlesbrook’s narcissism extremely well and Bret Mackenzie from Flight of the Conchords performed the part of the stable boy, Martin, adequately enough but occasionally forgot to hide his distinct New Zealander accent. Jennifer Coolidge played a ditzy Miss Elizabeth Charming and JJ Field’s Mr Henry Nobley would have been an asset to the movie if he did what Mr Darcy did not and took off his clothes. If films with unexciting plot lines, terrible fake accents and dismal love stories with the occasional rocking dance number are your thing, then Austenland is, at very least, a DVD movie for you. Louise Jeckells

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

MCA ARTBAR I’m Dreamin’ Of A Blak Christmas Friday November 29 The Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting its last ARTBAR of 2013 on Friday November 29. Contemporary artist Tony Albert has curated a Christmasinspired evening of games, lucky door prizes and Aussie rock music to kick start the festive season. Blak Santa (AKA the infamous Richard Bell) will be there to determine who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. Artists Jodie Whalen, Jason Wing, Emma Price and Adam Norton among others will also share their private collection with ARTBAR-goers. There will also be collage workshops with Rolande Souliere, a performance by David Page and a live Miley-like twerking performance. Want more? Yoko Ono’s War Is Over! (If You Want It) exhibition will remain open into the late hours. Visit mca.com.au for further details and tickets. thebrag.com

WE ARE THE NOBLES Cannes Winners Post Tenebras Lux by Carlos Reygadas & After Lucia by Michel Franco

(MEXICO'S #1 BOX OFFICE HIT)

1 Feature Films Including dramas, animations and comedies.

6 Documentaries Learn about Mexican social justice trough ground breaking powerful filmmaking.

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bread&thread Food & Fashion News...with Lily White

CITY GYM OPEN DAY

It’s summer fi tness regime time, folks, so you best get moving. On Saturday December 7, East Sydney’s City Gym is hosting an open day from 8am-4pm. The event is free, so you’ve no

excuse either. The open day lineup includes a BBQ lunch, health and fi tness stalls, expert panel discussions, celebrity meet and greets, transformation success stories and free entry to all group fi tness classes and fi tness competitions such as ‘squat ’til you drop’. Low on the cash monies? There’ll also be free membership giveaways, PT sessions and other prize draws. For more information, visit citygym.com.au.

FASHION MARKETS AT THE WINERY RAFFLES GRAD SHOW

Listen up, fashionistas. On Tuesday December 10, Raffles College of Design and Commerce will showcase its graduate fashion collections at Carriageworks. The extravaganza gives students the chance to show fashion world glitterati what they’re made of by having leggy models strut their designs down the runway. “The quality of talent at this year’s show is outstanding. Some of the pieces display a truly mindblowing standard of tailoring and design. This really is a must-attend event for the fashion industry and media,” says Program Director of Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing at Raffles, Nick Comino. For further details head to raffles.edu.au.

STAR BAR REVAMP

Y’all probably remember the joint as Planet Hollywood where a life-sized statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger once stood, but since those youthful days the place has been operating as Star Bar. And now, said Star Bar has undergone a $2 million facelift and is soon to relaunch with consultant chef Danny Russo on board. Russo (formerly of The Oaks in Neutral Bay) has designed a trademark Italian menu with a selection of burgers also thrown in for kicks. Sydneysiders do love their buns after all, right? The Russolini parma burger – crumbed Angus beef pattie with Napoli sauce, basil and melted mozzarella ($17) – might just do the trick we reckon. Find out more at starbar. com.au.

MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF FOR TOPSHOP

It’s here. British label Meadham Kirchhoff has launched its Topshop capsule collection. The label’s fourth collaboration with Topshop is a colourful explosion of English culture from frilly tea dresses to mod leather jackets, glam rock fur and punk chokers. It’s like subculture’s greatest hits.

VUI VA SAY

Newtown’s got a new Vietnamese bar and restaurant and it’s called Vui Va Say. Owners Peter Wu and Catherine Tran have set up shop in the former Jester Seeds site on King Street to bring punters an authentic Vietnamese experience complete with head chef Gia Ngo’s cassava balls.

SOCAL OPENS

Hamish Watts and Ben Carroll Hospo gurus Hamish Watts and Ben Carroll of Bondi Hardware and The Botanist fame are set to launch their latest venue SoCal on Tuesday December 3. The Southern Californian-inspired bar and restaurant riffs on beach bar vibes, utilising the venue’s outdoor terrace – think retro chic interiors from designer Luchetti Krelle (Momofuku Seiobo, Ananas, Hinky Dinks and Sake), bright colours and funky furniture. The food? There’s an emphasis on Mexican, North American and seafood flavours offered up in the way of Cali-inspired share plates, tacos, mini dogs and ceviches. The booze? An extensive wine list focuses on the Californian region and there’s also an extensive selection of American craft beers, local ciders, spirits and cocktails to boot. Visit socalsydney.com.au for more information.

ARCANUM The basics: Metals, minerals, wood, plastic, bone, concrete and everything in between. These are some of the materials used by Design Centre Enmore students to create wearable pieces of art. On Tuesday November 26, the Centre’s Jewellery and Object Design department launches Arcanum, an exhibition showcasing contemporary production methods alongside traditional metal working techniques. We catch up with participating student and exhibition coordinator, Roni Judge, to get the low-down on what to expect. Tell us about Arcanum. Arcanum is the end of year exhibition for the Jewellery and Object Design Department at the Design Centre Enmore. It showcases work from all years of the diploma and advanced diploma. Punters are invited behind workshop doors and let in on the secrets behind the processes and concepts behind the what, how and why of the objects on display.

Design by Naomi Stewart

HOUSE OF CANNON DEBUT

Let us introduce you to new label House of Cannon. Taking inspiration from the visual language of Japan, designer Annie CannonBrookes offers luxurious kimono, kaftan, mini skirt and tank numbers clad in vibrant prints. House of Cannon’s debut collection, ‘Kiddo Kyoto’, blends traditional imagery from Japan’s natural environment such as sakura blossoms with pop-cultural objects such as robots. To view the collection and order online, head to houseofcannon.com. Yes, cassava balls. Favourites goat stir fry and caramelised pork belly also make the menu cut, and to wash ’em back? Opt for one of head bartender Joe Lee’s personal cocktail creations like an aloe-hito daiquiri. Hells yeah. For more information check out

design profile

PARAMOUNT BUILDING, 55 BRISBANE ST, SURRY HILLS NOVEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 1

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Looking to spruce up your collection of threads before summer lands? Pen Saturday December 7 in your diary, because that’s when you’ll need to get down to the Fashion Markets at The Winery to luck out. Some of our city’s most stylish bloggers and fashion industry greats will sell their pre-loved pieces. And after your bargain buys there’s more to celebrate with tunes from DJ Starjumps and booze aplenty at The Winey. Visit thewinerysurryhills.com.au for all the details.

Can you elaborate on some of the pieces in the exhibition? The work on display incorporates objects and wearables such as rings, neck pieces, brooches and earrings.

In third year, which I am about to complete, we’re asked to read a substantial text over the summer, which becomes the conceptual framework for a body of work. We’re asked to extract the essence from the text and to reinterpret it in 3D form. I chose Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. For me, Brave New World is about control and that control can never be total or complete. I have created an interactive object that demonstrates this dilemma. Metal manipulation plays a large role in Arcanum. Explain. The course primarily focuses on metalwork but we are encouraged to incorporate other materials such as resin, bone, glass, gems and textiles. The object I have created this year was made from a single sheet of flat metal, 27cm in diameter, which was moved into a perfectly smooth hemispherical bowl using only hammers. Where do you see jewellery and object design fitting into the broader context of contemporary art? It reflects 3D aspects closely associated with sculpture and can be used by the artist to express social, cultural, political and environmental viewpoints. Exciting future projects we should know about? We’re intending to create an interactive display with the theme ‘In The Moment’ in a

Design by Jordan Taylor

public place in the city with the intention of brining our design processes to the public. Passers-by are invited to pick from a wall of black badges one of their choice and replace it with a written word they associate with ‘In The Moment’. The thermal ink used on the black badge will, when touched by hands, reveal a word previously chosen by a student; new connections and association will have been created. jewelleryandobject.org

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Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...

ALBUM OF THE WEEK SWEARIN’

Surfi ng Strange Wichita Recordings/[PIAS]

Xxxx Surfing Strange could meld into a 34-minute pile of associated thoughts and energy, but nothing sounds underdone and the melodies will stick in your head.

Swearin’s second LP Surfi ng Strange comes just one year after their self-titled debut and the record is again bolstered by an ever-imminent guitar roar and powerhouse drumming, but the band doesn’t get too distracted by thrashing around. The album is richly melodic and has its fair share of stripped-back vulnerability. Allison Crutchfield (the most prominent of the band’s three lead vocalists) in particular doesn’t hesitate to let a saccharine thrill come to the forefront. Crutchfield’s ‘Dust In The Gold Sack’ and ‘Parts Of Speech’ are pop-propelled grungey guitar episodes, while guitarist Kyle Gilbride’s ‘Watered

Down’ is a foray into loud-quiet-loud power-pop and bassist Keith Spencer takes over for ‘Melanoma’, a distortion-drenched moment of fragility. Swearin’ are definitely adept tunesmiths but they’re not bothered about guarding or illuminating their incisive hooks. On ‘Mermaid’ the guitars adopt a wall-of-sound chug for a couple of minutes before the vocals perk up, but despite this elongated opening it doesn’t register as a meandering jam. Crutchfield’s voice has a natural nice-gal tint, yet the quieter ‘Loretta’s Flowers’ avoids sounding

too sentimental and on the rollicking ‘Young’ she refrains from contriving for toughness. Meanwhile, even if Gilbride slips into a familiar vocal guise (invoking Doug Martsch or a young Wayne Coyne) on ‘Echo Locate’ and ‘Unwanted Place’, he assumes this slacker-whine with forceful integrity. Augustus Welby

THE BENNIES

KIM WILDE

TO KILL A KING

THE GOOD SHIP

LOUIS LONDON

Rainbows In Space Poison City Records

Wilde Winter Songbook Public Opinion/MGM

Cannibals With Cutlery Xtra Mile Recordings

The Seven Seas Autumn Recordings/ MGM

The Big Deep MGM

A man walks into a record store. “I’m throwing a party this weekend, do you happen to have any psychedelicreggae-ska-doom-metal-punk-rock music about partying endlessly?” he asks. “Hell yeah!” says the record manager, “We just got a new release from The Bennies out of Melbourne. Here you go.” “Sweet!” says the man as he looks over the LSD-inspired cover of Rainbows In Space. “Hope you enjoy, and hey, while you’re here, why don’t we chuck it on and smoke a joint?” “Now you’re talking!” “PARTY FOREVER!” They both yell as they high-five. It’s hard to work out how many beers/bong hits The Bennies had to do before they thought the above scenario was a plausible one. But considering they’re up to their second full-length release, it’s not as halfbaked as it might first seem. Don’t be fooled by the string of genres though; if you’ve ever been to a backyard party where the joints are frequent, the beers are constant, and there’s some guy with dreadlocks who’s trying to convince you to join the Communist Party, you’ve definitely heard music like this.

If I am to be completely honest, I hate Christmas music. It’s often the greatest source of my personal irritation during the jolly season. That said, Kim Wilde’s first album in over a decade shows that an artist can get a Christmas release very right. The album is sparse in its musical arrangement, removing the overproduced jingly feel too often evident in Christmas recordings. Wilde has taken a new approach by choosing to include a bunch of originals with just a smattering of well-known holiday hits. The record opens with a superb duet of ‘Winter Wonderland’ with fellow ’80s chart topper Rick Astley. On paper this looks like an unusual vocal match but it is in fact very classy. The smooth-as-silk Astley blends perfectly with Wilde’s pure pop to give that warm cosy feeling like a good Christmas song should. From this point on we are taken on a seasonal journey via the heart of Wilde. The songs written or co-written by the singer are personal and honest. They are carefully dispersed throughout the track listing and bring messages of hope, joy and reflection while never losing the thread of the story of Christmas.

The strange thing is that despite it being a rehash of stoner music, it’s still a pretty good album. The mix-up of genres work in most cases, the sound is catchy and the lyrics are full of sing-along choruses and stories about getting stoned.

Wilde Winter Songbook is a family affair with Wilde’s father, brother, niece and husband all lending their talents to the project, as does Wilde’s recent Australian tour companion, Nik Kershaw, on ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’.

The Bennies have made their own style of party music without changing the formula at all. The result is a magic trick, releasing a seemingly new album that actually comes from the world of the neverending party. Party on, dudes.

This is the first Christmas album that has allowed me to completely lose myself in the romance of Christmas. Wilde Winter Songbook is a nice way to be transported to a place where it snows at Christmas and family and friends gather to sing by the fire.

Daniel Prior

The first album release from UK-based To Kill A King is full of competent folk with some forays into other genres. From their take on soul, evoking the recent sounds of Mayer Hawthorne, to more straightforward folk, retreading the recently driven path of Mumford & Sons, these are certainly proficient musicians. But as an album, Cannibals With Cutlery doesn’t really work. When we sit down to listen to an album we might expect some sort of theme, some design holding the disparities together. Here there is no theme but the band itself and because of this the record struggles to achieve an identity. This is perhaps the result of combining the songs from two previous EPs with newer work into one album. That’s not to say the music isn’t good. Each track is a fine example of songwriting and performance. There’s new soul, rocky folk, and an homage to Paul Simon with steel guitar underpinning the vocals. The album goes on to more obvious folk rock and contains some nice, easy to listen to ballads and acoustic reworkings of older songs, but despite all this musical proficiency, ultimately it lacks a soul. The folk scene is crowded with bands composed of young men with beards, guitars and a story to tell, and here is another one. If you love the new folk scene then you’ll probably find much to love in this album. If you’re over the current folky zeitgeist and are looking for something new, you won’t find it here. If you say a word over and over again it loses its meaning. For me that word is ‘folk’. I’ve heard it so many times, folk has lost all meaning. Now you can hear it again too.

“Imagine, now friends, a small village, in a small port, on a small island…” Finally! A band has taken music piracy to a literal level and created an album all about sailing the high seas, fighting sea monsters, and searching for fortune and fame. Brisbane eight-piece The Good Ship have released an ode to the age of sails with their third album The Seven Seas. Inspired by their hybrid musical theatre show, the release is a sailor’s wet dream; a ten-song album about the waves calling them to glory. Opener ‘World Spin Round’ sets the tone of the album well, with a mournful piano and a mother pleading with her son not to become a sailor: “Don’t go out to the ocean blue / So wide and it’s so vast / For there’s pirates there / And monsters there / And you will surely die”. (Thanks for the support, Mum.) Other songs like ‘The Ocean Is Calling Me’, ‘Captain One Day’ and ‘Seven Seas’ all focus on the draw the sea has over us. While the album has sound music qualities, it’s hard to imagine anyone loving this album unless they: a) have seen the live performance and wanted more; b) are devout cosplay pirates/sailors who have been wishing and dreaming for an album all about sailing; or c) all of the above. The Seven Seas is a quality album, however the lyrics and theme will unfortunately narrow its appeal. That being said, if you do prefer music that requires you to close your eyes and be whisked away to the land of imagination to enjoy it, then this album is for you. Daniel Prior

Since 2010, Louis London have worked steadily and taken the time to carefully craft and develop a distinguishable indie rock sound. The Big Deep is a tasty little morsel of what’s to come with their inevitable album release some time in the near future. ‘Grand’ opens with a gentle rocking and gorgeously crunchy guitar riff, over which lead vocalist Ed Saloman spins his beautifully sad lament. The track rolls out with its steady tempo and catchy hooks, making it incredibly easy to listen to and endlessly playable. These boys have a knack for writing a damn good tune, stopping just short of repetitive indie rock, and ‘We’re Not Alone’ has wonderfully summery vibes from the guitar reverb and a good old sing-along chorus – think Beach Boys gone Kings Of Leon, but in a good way. Penultimate track ‘This Night Time’ is the single that brought the band to broader public attention in September, and is a little more downtempo than the first two tracks. It’s great to hear the range in Saloman’s vocals on this one, and impressive percussion dexterity from Jack Kiddell. Rounding off the EP, the laid-back attitude of ‘Raise The Crown’ holds some tantalising promise for more to come from this young band. Overall, it’s a great little taster of what Louis London have in store for us. Well-produced and written with true musicians’ ears, and just the right amount of heartstring tugging, this EP is a winner. Rebecca Whitman

Karen Waters

Jesse Hayward

OFFICE MIXTAPE

DVD OF THE WEEK BLACK SABBATH Live… Gathered In Their Masses Universal Sabbath, bloody Sabbath. The undisputed masters of heavy metal are still going strong despi te a combined age of over 200. Earlier this year Black Sabbath toured Australia, playing all the major cities. The Melbourne show at the Rod Laver Arena was recorded and is now available on DVD as Live… Gathered In Their Masses.

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This lovely four-track EP bubbles with promise for this Sydney band, and is a great little capsule of sound illustrating their progress over the past three years.

The DVD begins with footage of the Victorian fans waiting to get in. One proud father shows off his entire family; a heartwarming metal legacy which will ensure metal pride long into the metal future. There aren’t many bands that inspire such obsessive devotion, and most of them finished up in the ’70s. From the opening strains of ‘War Pigs’, through Tommy Clufetos’ epic drum solo and all the way to the final song, ‘Paranoid’, Ozzy Osbourne holds the crowd in the palm of his hand. He’s not a young man, and it shows, but he’s still Ozzy. He isn’t going through the motions, he’s giving it everything he’s got. Tony Iommi’s guitar work is just exemplary. His lymphoma diagnosis in 2012 initially

delayed this tour and he is now receiving regular treatment, but it’s not at all noticeable in his performance. Clufetos, previously known for his tour work with Rob Zombie, is energetic onstage and clearly loves playing for Sabbath. Geezer plays so well you barely notice him. Historically, this is probably not the best live recording of Black Sabbath, but it’s a great example of what the band is doing today. With 15 songs including classics like ‘Black Sabbath’ and ‘Iron Man’ as well as a few cuts from their new album 13, this DVD would make a fine addition to any Sabbath fan’s collection.

And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... EARL SWEATSHIRT - Doris JAKE BUGG - Shangri La FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE - Ceremonials

FLEETWOOD MAC - Rumours LEONARD COHEN - Ten New Songs

Jesse Hayward

thebrag.com

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live reviews What we've been out to see...

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

LEONARD COHEN Sydney Entertainment Centre Saturday November 16

The Hi-Fi Saturday November 16

Look not beyond a Leonard Cohen concert for proof that popular music will never, ever escape the reality of its sexuality. It seems a strange thing to conclude from within such an ostensibly highbrow audience as this one – and certainly, you bristle when you realise the sexually charged ringleader is in his 80th year on earth – but it’s as true as desire itself.

Robert Levon Been, Peter Hayes and Leah Shapiro walked onstage like three rebels from a badass motorcycle club. And they might as well have sped onstage in a fast car with boots on the dashboard, ’cause the Californians picked up their instruments like handguns in the wild wild West. Recent Specter At The Feast single ‘Hate The Taste’ opened the set, and saw BRMC backed by red lighting that hit the smoke behind them like a raging fire or bellowing dust storm. Yeah, these three are the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club by both name and reputation. And they aren’t about to let you forget it.

Sure, the ageing Canadian bard is often captivated with the religious and the romantic, but if age can’t take the sex away from him, religion never will. “I’ve studied deeply in the philosophies and the religions,” Cohen said onstage in London in 2009, following his dedication to Zen Buddhism in the ’90s – “but cheerfulness kept breaking through.”

Five songs in, the 2005 classic ‘Ain’t No Easy Way’ was a crowd pleaser, and deservedly so. Hayes – playing acoustic, harmonica, and singing with weathered, lovelorn vocals – worked damned hard to get us cheering; grunting “rgh” with more force than ever. Though the performance didn’t stray far from its recorded version, their energy on this track and the ones before it kept the audience captivated. In fact, the musicians competed with the noise of a cheering crowd for much of the twohour-long set. ‘Spread Your Love’ was the last song played before they left the stage. But we all knew they’d return – there was at least one hit we’d all been waiting for. Punters leant over the Hi-Fi’s mezzanine, and the band soon joined us again after a few minutes of applause. “We like to keep things unplugged,” said bassist Levon Been, as he and Hayes stood closely for an intimate rendition of ‘Complicated Situation’. The red lighting beat on the smoke behind them once more. But this time it had the feel of a campfire, helped along by the crowd who sung along in harmony.

And so he jogs onstage in Sydney again, opening with the Mediterranean pop of ‘Dance Me To The End Of Love’, and spends much of the set singing from his knees. Not for a lack of strength, of course – this is merely Cohen’s natural state in his songs of worship. Worship to God? To woman? ‘The Future’ says it all: “Give me

By the end of Annabelle Kay’s set, you wanted to break up with your undeserving lover and quit your job. Solo onstage with a semi-acoustic guitar and an Amy Winehouse beehive, Kay’s dark country melodies, combined with honest lyrics, captivated her audience. Moving to face the back wall, Kay sat at the grand piano in the corner of the stage. Although physically removed from her audience, her comfort behind the piano provided an unparalleled intimacy to her music. I’m not sure if anyone breathed during her entire set. Hollie Smith walked onstage a different woman to how I remembered her from New Zealand. In a long black dress and boots, as soon as the celebrated Kiwi soul singer sang her first note, I was back there. Opening with ‘Mamma’, Smith’s signature smoky voice had never felt so real. 30 :: BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13

Not that Cohen has lost the ability to command an enormous room with that baritone. The concert isn’t loud, but it’s affecting. And as a retrospective on his remarkable songwriting, it’s a celebration. Each song is a mini-epic – nothing about Cohen’s composition has ever been rushed, least of all the melodies and the choruses. A night with Cohen is a celebration of talent, of poetry, of beauty, and yes, of sex. Chris Martin

:: PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL, M. WARD, SUPERCHUNK Enmore Theatre Thursday November 14

Rachel Eddie

Venue 505 Thursday November 14

There’s nothing lurid or embarrassed about this display – alongside Cohen, tonight’s spectacular three-hour set is performed by an all-star band of nine, including the Spanish virtuoso Javier Mas, who quite literally stops the show with a sprawling 12-string solo. Cohen’s interaction with his backing vocalists, Sharon Robinson and Charley and Hattie Webb, is a delight too: it’s all tips of the hat, reverential bows, and a consistently balanced mix of harmony. In fact, Robinson’s solo recital of ‘Alexandra Leaving’ – one of many songs she’s written with Cohen over the years – is a high point in the show.

:: PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

Three songs into their encore, Shapiro rejoined them onstage, and though we were never properly introduced, tight and booming drums reminded us of her presence. Any hint of blues or folk was ditched by legendary single ‘Whatever Happened To My Rock And Roll’ as the occasional crowd-surfer got into the spirit of the Levon Been-led song. All the while, Hayes maintained their Black Rebel Motorcycle Club aesthetic, chain-smoking between angsty vocals: “I fell in love with the sweet sensation / I gave my heart to a simple chord / I gave my soul to a new religion / Whatever happened to you? / Whatever happened to my rock’n’roll?” Baby, your rock’n’roll was right here at the Hi-Fi.

HOLLIE SMITH, ANNABELLE KAY

crack and anal sex”. Sexuality consumes ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’, as it does ‘I’m Your Man’, and it’s there in the famous ‘Hallelujah’ too.

Smith was accompanied by a keyboard, and this tour-friendly option left powerful songs ‘Can’t Let You Down’ and ‘Let Me Go’ to be carried by her voice alone. Performing tracks from her upcoming fourth studio album, Smith shared hints of what to expect and the challenges she was already facing. She is co-writing for the first time, and if ‘Make Believe’ is anything to base her new album on, expect something completely new from Smith. Finally taking advantage of the grand piano behind her, Smith’s cover of jazz standard ‘Summertime’ was something to brag home about. With songs stripped down to be as intimate as the venue, ‘Come For Me Here’ and ‘Overtime’ left the crowd one inch away from emotional overload. As the opening chords of ‘Bathe In The River’ began, the overexcited reaction from the crowd led Smith to ask who in the audience was from New Zealand. Everyone’s hand went up. Tanydd Jaquet

With the Enmore playing host to a veritable smorgasbord of indie rock royalty, it was little wonder the excitement could be felt bouncing off the walls as punters poured in. For the recently reunited Neutral Milk Hotel, this tour marked the first time the famously reclusive Jeff Mangum and co. had ever played on Australian shores. For many, it would also be the first opportunity to see alt-rock pioneers Superchunk, hitting Australian stages for the first time in 17 years. After almost two and a half decades in the game, Superchunk show little to suggest any wear and tear. Refreshingly limber and joyfully enthusiastic, the quartet ripped through an animated set comprised of gems from their extensive back catalogue as well as showing off selections from newly released tenth album I Hate Music. “I used up all my banter last night, sorry,” laughs frontman Mac McCaughan between tracks. It matters not – the band’s discography is a goldmine of well-crafted songs, and experiencing them brought to life with such vigour was a welcome way for proceedings to begin. M. Ward and band took the stage to an atmosphere of smooth crispness, as the California-born crooner’s smoky America stylings engulfed the room. Ward and band

are lively, but one can’t help feel the singersongwriter would be better suited to a more intimate setting than the Enmore. With anticipation thick in the air, it was time for Neutral Milk Hotel to deliver the set that Australian devotees had been waiting years for. Opening with all three parts of the classic ‘The King Of Carrot Flowers’, Mangum was joined by the original lineup that featured on the band’s seminal 1998 album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. Initially, the frontman seemed typically reserved, leaving his bandmates to stir momentum, before an undeniable smile peered out from beneath his thick beard and the sheer ecstasy of what was happening took over everyone inside the venue. Over the next hour and a half the band played almost every track from Aeroplane as well as a slew of fan favourites from debut album On Avery Island and assorted rarities. Their onstage chemistry stands in contrast to the amount of the time the band members have gone without playing with one another. The time off has also done little if anything to damper the vocal cords on Mangum, who sounds decidedly refreshed. Closing with beloved B-side ‘Engine’, the night had been everything a fan could have asked for. Impassioned and organic, this was the way Neutral Milk Hotel songs were meant to be heard. Blake Gallagher thebrag.com

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g g guide g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Parkway Drive

SUNDAY DECEMBER 1

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Barangaroo

Vans Warped Tour The Offspring + Parkway Drive + Simple Plan + New Found Glory + The Used + Hatebreed + More 11am.$107.10. MONDAY NOVEMBER 25 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Songsonstage - feat: Rod Fritz + Carolyn Woodorth + Blonde + Baggage + Chris Brookes + Massimo Presti + Rick Taylor Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 7pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Happy Monday! Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. free. Motown Mondays - feat: Soulgroove The White Horse, Surry Hills. 8pm. free. Reggae Monday Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Adam Gorecki Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. free.

34 :: BRAG :: 540 : 25:11:13

Bernie Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. free. Warner Music Presents: Any **** Can Have A Showcase - feat: Thelma Plum + Jones Jnr. + Jesse Davidson + Pilerats DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $15.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Dewayne Everettsmith The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $23.80. Songsonstage - feat: Angelene Harris + Ruby’s Toy Hampshire Hotel, Camperdown. 7:30pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Champagne Jam - Open

Mic Night Dundas Sports Club, Dundas. 7:30pm. free. Greg Agar Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. free. Nick Kingswell Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. free. Steve Tonge Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Big Band Tuesdays - feat: Sirens Big Band The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $5. Old School Funk And Groove Night Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. free.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Musos Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. free. Owen Campbell

Alex Hopkins Summer Hills Hotel, Summer Hill. 7:30pm. free. Andy Mammers Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. free. Blackbird Rising - feat: The Hanging Tree + Potbelleez + Skunkhour + Juice + Mitchell Anderson Orchestra + King Clam + Tax The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 6pm. $35. Chris Stretton Stamford Grand, North Ryde. 6pm. free. City Slickers Band Comp Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $15. Coke And Sympathy, A Rock & Roll Caberet - feat: Ash King The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $23.80. Gemma O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 9:45pm. free. Heaps Decent Showcase feat: Home Base All-Stars Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $10. Ian Ball + Appleonia The Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $30. Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. free. Saskwatch + Sons Et Al Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free. The Good Stuff Three Wise Monkeys Pub, Sydney. 10pm. free. Uni Bar100 Bar100, The Rocks. 9pm. free.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Little May + Callum Wylie The Workers, Balmain. 7:30pm. free. Live Music Thursdays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Musos Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Peach Montgomery + Monica And The Explosion + Sonny Breaks Forest Lodge Hotel, Forest Lodge. 7:30pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Chris Raicevich Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. free. Songwriter Sessions - feat: John Chesher Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta. 7pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Cellar Jazz Jam - feat: Phil Stack & Guests The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. free. Cole Soul And Emotion feat: Lionel Cole The White Horse, Surry Hills. 8pm. free. The Spirit Dancer - feat: Taikoz City Recital Hall, Sydney. 8pm. $70.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

After Midnight - Tribute To J.J.Cale The Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $25. Alex Hopkins Open Mic Night Northies, Cronulla. 7:30pm. free. Bec And Ben + The Dark Hawks + Violet Pulp The Imperial Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. $10. Belle Roscoe + I Am Apollo + The Electric Vogues FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $15. Cambo Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Dave McMaster Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free. Dave White Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. Devotional + Terza Madre + Daisy MT Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12. Evie Dean Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 7:30pm. free. Greg Agar Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 7:30pm. free. Hollie Winter The Dock, Redfern. 8pm. free. Ian Ball + Davey Lane The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. $30.50. Jerrico + Marlow Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free. Joe Echo Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney. 9:30pm. free. Lo Roberts Bexley North Hotel, Bexley North. 6:30pm. free. Mikelangelo’s Classic Albums Series (Tom Waits & Leonard Cohen) Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $20. Nathan Cole Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 10pm. free. Party Central Three Wise Monkeys Pub, Sydney. 10pm. free. Redlight Ruby O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 9:30pm. free. Reptile Park - feat: Maux Faux + Deep Space Supergroup + Hey Baby Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10. Riz Hallowes Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 8pm. free. Singing Comp Hosted By Michael McGlynn The Ranch Hotel, Eastwood. 7pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Taos + Slippery Gypseas + Mark’N The Blues + Bandana + Noel Davies Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 8pm. $15. The Spoils Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9:30pm. free. The Spoils + Trent Marden Band + Blackbear Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 11pm. $10. Usurper Of Modern Medicine + Set Sail + The Shooters Party

The Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. free. Victoria Avenue Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 7:30pm. free.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Flamin’ Beauties The Overlander Hotel, Cambridge Park. 7pm. free. Jay Brannan The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $44. Kinky Friedman - Australian Bi Polar Tour The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $43.80. Live Music Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Anita Wardell Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $20. Monsieur Camembert Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $35. Saskwatch Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $25. Yuki Kumagai + John Mackie Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 11am. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

A-Team Duo Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9pm. free. Alex Hopkins Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 5pm. free. Am 2 Pm Ingleburn RSL, Ingleburn. 9pm. free. Andy Mammers Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. Angelo Pash Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 6:30pm. free. As You Were Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard. 9pm. free. Bandsonstage Concert feat: Peach Montgomery + The Count’s Trio + Boris Driver + Les Montgomery Band Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 8pm. free. Bell Weather Department + Lanterns The Loft (UTS Loft), Ultimo. 8pm. $5. Ben Finn Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 9pm. free. Bounce Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free. Castlecomers PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt. 9pm. free. Catcall’s Getting The Band Back Together + The Fabergettes + DJ Al-Di Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Cath & Him Hornsby RSL, Hornsby. 9pm. free. Craig Thommo Avalon Beach RSL Club, Avalon. 8:30pm. free. Craig Woodward General Gordon Hotel, Sydenham. 7pm. free. Dave Anthony Optus Centre, 3pm. free. Dave Phillips O’Malleys Hotel, Kings Cross. 8:30pm. free. Dave White Experience Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free.

thebrag.com

Xxx

pick of the week

Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $15. Pulp Kitchen And Folk Club - feat: Live Rotating Folk Bands Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Stuart Jammin Avalon Beach RSL Club, Avalon. 7:30pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Angelene Harris + Liam Mcalary + Confession And Denial Collector Hotel, Parramatta. 7pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Taos + Monica And The Explosion + Bradley Primmer + John Chesher + Gavin Fitzgerald + Ken Mclean Charing Cross Hotel , Waverley. 7pm. free. Songsonstage - feat: Peach Montgomery + Men With Day Jobs + Sonny Breaks Sackville Hotel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. free.

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Dave Dobbyn & Don McGlashan

Windsor Leagues Club, 9:30pm. free. Zoltan Adria Rybar & Grill, Sydney. 5pm. free.

mon

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Dave Dobbyn & Don McGlashan The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $40. Johnny Cash The Concert Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8pm. free. Live Music Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Simon Morel The Record Crate, Glebe. 8:30pm. $5. DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free. DJ Tom Annetts Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 9pm. free. Double Barrell Courthouse Hotel, Newtown. 10pm. free. Evie Dean The Grand Hotel, Rockdale. 5:30pm. free. Gary Johns Trio Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free. Gene And Sofie Parramatta Leagues - The Firehouse, Parramatta. 7:30pm. free. Geoff Rana Parramatta RSL Club, Parramatta. 5pm. free. Gerard Masters Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free. Greg Agar Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free. Greg Lines The Village Hotel, Mt Druitt Village. 8pm. free. Heath Burdell Duo Horse And Jockey Hotel, Homebush. 7:30pm. free. Hitseekers Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 9:30pm. free. Holy Holy Name This Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.30. Iron Bark Rock Engadine Tavern, Engadine. 9:30pm. free. Jake Mcdougall Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5:30pm. free. Jess Dunbar Novotel, Darling Harbour. 5:30pm. free. Joe Echo Cronulla RSL, Cronulla. 4:30pm. free. John Vella The Eastern, Bondi Junction. 8pm. free. Just Jammin Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 8pm. free. Klay Northies, Cronulla. 9pm. free. Kurt Williams Duo Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 10pm. free. Lauren Azar Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 5:30pm. free. Leon Gort The Leichhardt Hotel, Leichhardt. 6pm. free. Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt. 9:30pm. free. Luke Robinson Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 10:30pm. free. Marshall Okell & The Pride + Mere Cats + General Pants & The Privates + Party Mansion Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham.

thebrag.com

8pm. $12. Marty Simpson + Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Matt Jones Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm. free. Matt Price Duo Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 10pm. free. Monster Gale + Triangle + Gonzo + Simple Steve Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10. Muddy Feet Seven Hills Toongabbie RSL Club, Seven Hills. 8:30pm. free. Nicky Kurta Stacks Taverna, Sydney. 5pm. free. No Good Label Launch Party - feat: Simo Soo + Matzi + Jasper-Clifford Smith + Golden Blonde + Scissor Lock + B. Deep + Black Vanilla DJs + Laprat$ + Nowhere Society + Leeory Madrid FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Outlier New Brighton Hotel, Manly. 8pm. free. Pete Hunt Cock N’ Bull, Bondi Junction. 7pm. free. Rapture North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray. 7:30pm. free. Riz Hallowes Greystanes Inn, Greystanes. 8pm. free. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Rock Solid Duo Taren Point Bowling Club, Taren Point. 7:30pm. free. Russel Nelson Three Wise Monkeys Pub, Sydney. 6pm. free. Ryan Thomas Commercial Hotel , Parramatta. 6:30pm. free. Sierra Fin + The Conversations The Green Room Lounge, Enmore. 7:30pm. free. Something To Talk About Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8:30pm. free. Soul Nights Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free. Steve Tonge Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 10pm. free. Swingshift - The Cold Chisel Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 10pm. free. The Radiators + R.J Chops + Ben Lawes The Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $32. Ulcerate + The Amenta + Aparte + Criciform Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $15. Wildcatz

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Dance Central Presents (Tour De Dance) The Lair, Metro Theatre, Sydney. 9pm. $17. Monsieur Camembert Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $35. Sima - feat: The Catholics The Sound Lounge, Chippendale. 8:30pm. $20. The Bamboos The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $35. The Strides + Bobby Alu Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $30. Yuki Kumagai + John Mackie + Tony Burkys Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Glebe. 8pm. free.

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

tue

Nov

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

wed

thu

27 Nov

28 Nov (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

fri

29 Nov (4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(9:30PM - 1:30AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

sat

30 Nov

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON sun

01 Dec

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Abbalanche: The Australian Abba Tribute Show Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 7:30pm. $22. Abbe May The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $20. Adam Gorecki Sir Joseph Bank Hotel, Banksmeadow. 7pm. free. Altitude Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free. Ambassadors Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 7pm. free. Ange Ambarvale Tavern, Ambarvale. 2pm. free. Angie Dean Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 6:30pm. free. Armchair Travellers Duo Rosehill Bowling Club, Rosehill. 5:30pm. free. Bellaire Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 7pm. free. Big Radio Dynamite Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 9:30pm. free. Big Way Out Three Wise Monkeys Pub, Sydney. 10pm. free. Blind At The Ranch - feat: Special Guests Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, 9pm. free. BNO Rockshow Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free. Boston Blue Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. free. Bounce PJ Gallagher’s, Sydney. 9pm. free. Cambo Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. free. Caramel

THURS 5 DEC FACTORY THEATRE FACTORYTHEATRE.COM.AU

KATIE NOONAN ANGIE HART (FRENTE)

ABBY DOBSON (LEONARDO’S BRIDE)

MARTHA MARLOW SONGS THAT MADE ME brings together four of Australia’s finest female singer/ songwriters to share stories of their influences, artistic journeys and the landmark songs (by others and themselves) that have soundtracked their lives. The four singers share the stage for the entire show and collaborate naturally as they tell the stories of - and perform, some of the key songs that have shaped their lives. BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13 :: 35

gig picks

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. Caribbean Soul The Sly Fox, Enmore. 8pm. free. Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm. free. Chicken And Shaker Duo Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 7pm. free. Citizen Kay + Tales In Space + King For A Day + DJ Kristy Lee Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. free. Cover Me Crazy Mounties, Mt Pritchard. 9pm. free. Dan Spillane Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 8pm. free. Dave White Duo Northies, Cronulla. 9pm. free. David Agius Cronulla RSL, Cronulla. 4:30pm. free. Di Bird Red Hot And Blue Penrith RSL Club, Penrith. 2pm. free. DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free. DJ Sloppy AKA Shayne Alsop Mounties, Mt Pritchard. 8pm. free. Electric Anthems Trio Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 9:30pm. free. Everyday People Band Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free. Fallon Brothers The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 9pm. free. Festival Of The Sun WarmUp Party - feat: Tigertown + Gang Of Brothers + Set Sail Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free. Gemma Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Georgia Fair Hibernian House, Surry Hills. 8pm. $18.40. Heath Burdell Duo Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 7pm. free. Hitseekers Peachtree Hotel, Penrith. 8pm. free. Hooray For Everything Ingleburn RSL, Ingleburn. 9pm. free. Hotel California - A Tribute To The Eagles The Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $28. Ignition Picton Hotel, Picton. 9pm. free. Ivory + Raw Idiocy + Colour Therapy + The Wildbloods Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10. Jamie Lindsay PJ Gallagher’s, Moore Park. 7:30pm. free. Jimmy Bear + Souled Out Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Jonny Rock Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 9pm. free. Klay Cookies Bar, North Strathfield. 8pm. free. Koppen Terrace Penrith Gaels, Kingswood. 7pm. free. Luke Dixon Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 9pm. free. Macson Club Engadine, Engadine. 8pm. free. Made In Japan + Neighbourhood Youth Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Matt Jones Duo Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 10pm. free. Matt Price Duo Helensburgh Workers Club, Helensburgh. 8:30pm. free.

36 :: BRAG :: 540 : 25:11:13

Nicky Kurta Stacks Taverna, Sydney. 6pm. free. One Hit Wonders Epping Hotel, Epping. 10pm. free. Panorama Duo Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 10pm. free. Pink Chevy’s Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 8pm. free. Pop Fiction Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 10:30pm. free. Psychotic Turnbuckles + The Hard-Ons + The Dunhill Blues The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7pm. $25. Razorblade Fest - feat: Chris Duke And The Royals + Sucker Punch + Nerdlinger + Kang + Excitebike + Speedball + Seek The Silence + Nudist Colonies Of The World + Handball Deathmatch + 51 Percent + Metcalfe + Pants Optional + Favours The Brave + Old Time Glory Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 3pm. $12. Red Eye Records 32nd Birthday - feat: Black Cab + Making + Atom Bombs + Red Eye DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7:30pm. $12. Reels On Fire PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt. 9pm. free. Renae Stone Cock N’ Bull, Bondi Junction. 5pm. free. Replika Brewhouse Marayong, Kings Park. 8pm. free. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Sever Your Ties Bookings Presents Bush Fire Benefit Show - feat: Emergency Syndrome Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15. Skyscraper Engadine Tavern, Engadine. 9:30pm. free. Springsteen Mellencamp Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 10pm. free. The Lonely Boys The Mercantile Hotel, Sydney. 8:30pm. free. Tim Conlon Greystanes Inn, Greystanes. 8pm. free. Tim Shaw Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 10pm. free. Tonight’s The Night - The Rod Stewart Show Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club, Bondi Junction. 8:30pm. free. Tori Darke The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 6pm. free.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Teatro Matita - feat: Umbrella Theatre Django Bar, Marrickville. 6pm. $15.

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

Cambo Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. free. Intimate Sessions Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. free. Kinky Friedman - Australian Bi Polar Tour The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $43.80. Live Music Sundays Bar100, The Rocks. 1pm.

up all night out all week... free. Rick Fensom Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 2pm. free. Sunday Blues And Roots The White Horse, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.

The Bamboos

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alex Hopkins The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 1pm. free. Andy Mammers Unwined Bar, Lane Cove. 4pm. free. Darkness Reigns - feat: Akuma’s Kinder + City Undone + Azure Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10. Dave White Duo The Ranch Hotel, Eastwood. 3pm. free. David Agius Horse And Jockey Hotel, Homebush. 3:30pm. free. Elevation U2 Acoustic Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Georgia Fair Hibernian House, 8pm. $18.40. Greg Lines + Ashfield Western Suburbs Leagues Club, Leumeah. 11:30am. free. GTS Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 8:25pm. free. Happy Hippies Time And Tide Hotel, 2pm. free. Heath Burdell Harbord Beach Hotel, Freshwater. 9pm. free. Jimmy Mann Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 1pm. free. Klay Wallacia Hotel, 2pm. free. Lance Link Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 2pm. free. Magnus + The Ivory Drips + Psyrens + The Dance Floor Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $10. Mark Travers Ettamogah Hotel, Kellyville Ridge. 1pm. free. Matt Jones Band Three Wise Monkeys Pub, Sydney. 10pm. free. Mini Mobile Farm O’Donoghues, Emu Plains. 12pm. free. Nicky Kurta Mill Hill Hotel, Bondi Junction. 8pm. free. Pete Hunt Waverley Bowling Club, Waverley. 3pm. free. Rob Henry Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. free. Sydney Rock’N’Roll And Alternative Market - feat: The Satellites + Little Bastard + Donny & The Cosmic Tremors + Coral Lee + Silver Scream Manning Bar, Camperdown. 10am. $5. The Fender-Benders - feat: Hue Williams & Sep Martin Bayview Tavern, Gladesville. 3pm. free. The Frocks The Sly Fox, Sydney. 5pm. free. Three Wise Men Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm. free. Tori Darke Duo Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 3pm. free. U2 Elevation + White Bros Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. free. Vans Warped Tour - feat: The Offspring + Parkway Drive + Simple Plan + New Found Glory + The Used + Hatebreed + More Barangaroo, Sydney. 11am. $107.10.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 25 Warner Music Presents: Any **** Can Have A Showcase - Feat: Thelma Plum + Jones Jnr. + Jesse Davidson + Pilerats Djs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $15.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26 Dewayne Everettsmith The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $23.80.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27 Blackbird Rising - Feat: The Hanging Tree + Potbelleez + Skunkhour + Juice + Mitchell Anderson Orchestra + King Clam + Tax The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 6pm. $35. Heaps Decent Showcase - Feat: Home Base All-Stars Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $10. Saskwatch + Sons Et Al Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 Little May + Callum Wylie The Workers, Balmain. 7:30pm. Free. Cellar Jazz Jam - Feat: Phil Stack & Guests The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. Free. The Spirit Dancer - Feat: Taikoz City Recital Hall, Sydney. 8pm. $70. Bec And Ben + The Dark Hawks + Violet Pulp The Imperial Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. $10. Belle Roscoe + I Am Apollo + The Electric Vogues Fbi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $15. Ian Ball + Davey Lane The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. $30.50. Mikelangelo’s Classic Album Series (Tom Waits & Leonard Cohen) Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $20. The Spoils + Trent Marden Band + Blackbear Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 11pm. $10.

Simo Soo + Matzi + Jasper-Clifford Smith + Golden Blonde + Scissor Lock + B. Deep + Black Vanilla DJs + Laprat$ + Nowhere Society + Leeory Madrid FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 Dave Dobbyn & Don McGlashan The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $40. The Bamboos The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $35. Abbe May The Standard, Surry Hills. 8pm. $20. Festival Of The Sun Warm-Up Party Feat: Tigertown + Gang Of Brothers + Set Sail Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Georgia Fair Hibernian House, Surry Hills. 8pm. $18.40. Made In Japan + Neighbourhood Youth Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Psychotic Turnbuckles + The Hard-Ons + The Dunhill Blues The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7pm. $25. Razorblade Fest - Feat: Chris Duke And The Royals + Sucker Punch + Nerdlinger + Kang + Excitebike + Speedball + Seek The Silence + Nudist Colonies Of The World + Handball Deathmatch + 51 Percent + Metcalfe + Pants Optional + Favours The Brave + Old Time Glory Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 3pm. $12. Red Eye Records 32nd Birthday - Feat: Black Cab + Making + Atom Bombs + Red Eye Djs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7:30pm. $12.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 Sydney Rock’N’Roll And Alternative Market - Feat: The Satellites + Little Bastard + Donny & The Cosmic Tremors + Coral Lee + Silver Scream Manning Bar, Camperdown. 10am. $5. Vans Warped Tour - Feat: The Offspring + Parkway Drive + Simple Plan + New Found Glory + The Used + Hatebreed + More Barangaroo, Sydney. 11am. $107.10. Abby May

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 Catcall’s Getting The Band Back Together + The Fabergettes + DJ Al-Di Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Holy Holy Name This Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.30. No Good Label Launch Party - Feat:

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BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief...with Chris Honnery

DILLON FRANCIS

five things WITH

PAUL BEOHM FROM KARTON We started out writing a lot of breakbeat and have touched on dubstep and house – these days it’s just lots of bass music. We like to use the talent of those who can sing much better than us so we’re constantly working with different vocalists. The Music You Make The Bass Bombs tour is 4. all about capturing the Klub

Los Angeles-based electronic music producer Dillon Francis headlines Soapbox Events’ maiden boat party on Saturday January 25. A pioneer in the ‘moombahton’ genre, Francis first signed with Mad Decent, releasing his debut EP Westside in 2011. Francis has since collaborated and remixed artists like Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris, Diplo, A-Trak and Digitalism, in addition to dropping an EP on Skrillex’s label OSWLA. A lengthy local lineup will also be playing, including A-Tonez, Danny T and Natnoiz. The party will be held aboard the Bella Vista, with the ship departing King Street Wharf at midday and returning at 5pm.

Henrik Schwarz

Kids sound so it’ll see us rolling through glitch hop, dubstep, moomba, drum and bass, drumstep and maybe even some breakbeat. It’s really about playing the tunes we like and having fun with the people. If it’s got a heavy bassline and a somewhat interesting melodic progression, it’s likely that we’ll play it. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. The scene at the moment is

Growing Up I used to have to ride this 1. bus for an hour or so to get to school, it was out in rural NSW so we always had the same driver and he would blast ’80s nu-romantic and synthpop the whole ride, everyone from Duran Duran to New Order and Tears For Fears to Depeche Mode – I think that informed a lot of what I like about structure

and emotional drive within music. When I turned 12 I became obsessed with hip hop; I still am, it’s the energy and the rawness of that that really hooked me in.

acts who have kept that going. To be honest though, it’s mostly non-dance acts that really draw me in – recently it’s been a lot of Cog, Editors, old Outkast and A$AP Rocky.

Inspirations Your Crew So many – guys like The It’s myself and the other 2. 3. Crystal Method, Unkle, Roni Size Paul [Richter] who have been and Hybrid really kicked it off and there’s about a thousand newer

producing tunes under the Karton moniker for about ten years now.

Darkside

so strong, the internet has democratised everything so every good tune can find an audience and it’s less about what label a record is on and who’s playing it. That’s great for audiences but it can also make it harder for producers to get heard, which isn’t a bad thing as it rewards you for being unique and finding ‘your’ sound. What: Bass Bombs launch ft. Karton (Klub Kids) With: Brooklyn Zoo, Hydraulix, Pop The Hatch, Autoclaws, Bassriot, Struz, Bocue Where: Chinese Laundry When: Friday November 29

MACEO PLEX & BREACH AT IVY POOL

Cuban-born producer Eric Estornel, who releases under the monikers Maetrik and Maceo Plex, will perform at Ivy Pool Club on Friday December 6, where he’ll be joined by Breach. Estornel oversees the Ellum Audio imprint, and has garnered mass adulation since unveiling the Maceo Plex side of his sonic persona a few years back, subsequently releasing a live album recorded at the Cocoon closing party at Amnesia nightclub in Ibiza, and a DJ Kicks compilation. Breach is a pseudonym used by Ben Westbeech for his more robust, bass-led house outings – he’s just dropped a DJ Kicks compilation under the moniker, in fact. Breach’s Jack EP was a smash hit at the Winter Music Conference in Miami earlier this year and Westbeech has also used the name on remixes that were released through Crosstown Rebels and Ninja Tune. Local DJs Brohn, Gabby and T-Boy will also be playing, with the action kicking off at 9pm. First release tickets are on sale now for $45, and tickets will also be available on the door for $60.

THE BEACH BALL

DARKSIDE

Darkside, the duo of American-Chilean wunderkind Nicolas Jaar and guitarist Dave Harrington, will bring their live show to Sydney next year, headlining The Hi-Fi on Wednesday April 2. Darkside toured Australia at the start of this year, and the pair has since bunkered down in the studio to create a remix album of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories along with Psychic, their album that has just been released on Jaar’s label Other People.

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New summer party brand The Beach Ball launches at the Beach Road Hotel in Bondi this Sunday December 1. The Beach Ball is the brainchild of Ksubi co-founder and entrepreneur Dan Single, Modular Records’ Beni and Si Philby, who had this to say about the event: “It’s five years since we threw the summer Sunday parties on the rooftop of the Swiss Grand Hotel … So when the opportunity presented itself with the Beach Road Hotel to transform the dining area, open-air courtyard and rooftop into a day party – we thought why not!” Single invites prospective revellers to imagine “Do-Over in LA meets Notting Hill Carnival meets New York’s Paradise Garage, but in Bondi”. Entry is free but guest list registration is required – put your name down at followthebeachball.com.

AGWA YACHT CLUB 19 & 20

The Agwa Yacht Club juggernaut will roll on in the New Year, after lineups laden with revered internationals were announced for the first two months of 2014. On Saturday January 25, Germany’s Henrik Schwarz and Miami producer Danny Daze top the bill for Agwa Yacht Club number 19, while on Saturday February 22, headline honours go to Cassy and Mario Basanov. Schwarz has released multiple compilations including a sublime DJ Kicks mix, which dropped many moons ago. He has since crafted a succession of memorable remixes like his rework of Omar’s ‘Feeling You’ and refashioning of DJ Hell’s ‘The Angst’, while also collaborating regularly with Innervisions affiliates Âme and Dixon as A Critical Mass. Cutting forward to the February ‘closing season’ party, the spotlight shifts to Cassy, who has established herself as a world-class DJ over the past decade via her residency at Berlin’s fabled Panorama Bar and regular spots at Ibiza’s DC10. Cassy’s productions showcase a vocal-driven style of stripped-down deep house, while her DJ prowess has been captured on her compilations Simply Devotion and the inaugural installment of the Panorama Bar mix series. She’s also collaborated with the crème de la crème of the club world; namely Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano and Mathew Jonson. Both parties board The Starship from King Street Wharf at 2pm and return at 8pm.

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SOL REPUBLIC + STEREOSONIC

on the record WITH

MAX CHAPMAN The First Record I Bought My first record was ‘… 1. Baby One More Time’ by Britney Spears. I was about nine I think. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea – I would say it was because I wanted to have a go on her. The Last Record I Bought The last record I bought was 2. a vinyl-only release from Enzo Siragusa and Alexkid; it’s called ‘Kilimanjaro’. The First Thing I Recorded My first recording was ‘Don’t 3. Go’. It was written in Australia and released shortly after I returned to the UK after travelling here. The Last Thing I Recorded The last thing I recorded 4. was the sixth track on my forthcoming debut album. It will be released on my imprint, Resonance Records, for the start of summer 2014. It was recorded in my studio in Essex, UK along with all the other tracks I have completed of late that will also feature on the album,

CLAUDE VONSTROKE

Dirty Bird Records founder Barclay Crenshaw, AKA Claude VonStroke, will play at The Spice Cellar on Thursday December 5. Crenshaw released his debut album Beware Of The Bird back in ’06, which was a huge hit in clubbing circles spawning singles such as ‘Who’s Afraid Of Detroit?’ and ‘The Whistler’, each recognisable for their quirky arrangements and ‘phat’ basslines. VonStroke has since released a number of mix compilations – including an instalment in the Fabric mix canon – remixed everyone from The Rapture to Detroit luminary Kevin Saunderson, and completed a few LPs, including his recent album Urban Animal, which was the 100th release on his Dirtybird label. Doors open at 11pm, with DJs Murat Kilic and the inimitable Kato also set to play.

It will be a lot more melodic and musical, yet still dancefloor material – very classic electronicsounding. The Record That Changed My Life 5. The record that changed my life was ‘The Sky Was Pink’ (James Holden Remix) – it was written in 2004 and was originally written by Nathan Fake. It was released on a label called Border Community which has gathered some amazing electronic music over the years. The first time I heard the record, Damien Lazarus closed the Secret Garden Party festival with it – I don’t remember the year but it blew my mind! I often play this as my final track, and I will make sure I do when I’m in Sydney. What: Start:Cruise 011 / After Party Where: Sydney Aquarium Wharf / Home Nightclub When: Saturday November 30

Stereosonic goes down at Sydney Olympic Park this Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1, and while the ‘sold out’ signs went up last week, we’re bringing you the beats in the best way possible thanks to Sol Republic. Up for grabs for one lucky BRAG reader is the following: a pair of Disco With The Lot tickets to the festival (with VIP fast entry, access to VIP areas, exclusive bathrooms, premium food and drinks and a merch voucher); a pair of Sol Republic swag bags (valued at $220 each); and a pair of Sol Republic Stereosonic skinned Tracks headphones. On the bill, of course, are Sol Republic artist ambassadors including Calvin Harris. Yup, you’ll be very popular with one of your mates. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us what your dance jam is for the summer.

#UNITEDBYMUSIC

We’re all united by music, and ARIA has partnered with fashion label Marcs to prove it. ARIA Award nominees Birds of Tokyo, Emma Louise, Bliss n Eso, The Presets and The Rubens have each chosen one of their lyrics to feature on a limited edition set of Marcs t-shirts, available at David Jones and perfect to show your style during ARIA Week’s #UnitedByMusic campaign. This Thursday November 28, Bliss n Eso play Nova’s Red Room at The Standard for ARIA Week, and we’ve got a double pass to giveaway. Plus, you’ll win a pair of Marcs Bliss n Eso tees to wear around town. Head to thebrag. com/freeshit and tell us what makes you a fashionable music lover.

SMALLPEOPLE

Smallpeople, the duo behind Smallville Records and record store based in Hamburg, will perform a four-hour set at Bondi SLSC this Sunday December 1. Comprised of Dionne, AKA Just von Ahlefeld, and Julius Steinhoff, the pair has played an integral part in developing the deep house genre through their mastery of subtle melodies, releasing records from the likes of Christopher Rau, Move D, STL and Lawrence. Supreme tastemakers, Smallpeople have also established themselves as accomplished producers in their own right, releasing EPs on respected labels such as Laid and Underground Quality ahead of their debut album Salty Days, which dropped last year. Peret Mako, Magda Bytnerowicz and Simon Caldwell will all be playing two-hour sets in support of the headliners, with the party running from midday ’til 10pm.

DJ Shadow

Boys Noize

DJ SHADOW

DJ Shadow will headline Ivy on Saturday February 8, with support from Katalyst and DJ Dexter, a four-time DMC champion and DJ for The Avalanches. A celebrated figure who melds hip hop and electronic soundscapes, Shadow probably remains best known for his pioneering 1996 debut album Entroducing…, which has been followed by subsequent releases Pre-emptive Strike, The Private Press, The Outsider, the Bay Area EP and The Less You Know, The Better, as well as other production projects such as the James Lavelle collaboration that was UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction. The event will be hosted by Koolism’s Hau.

TIM SWEENEY

BOYS NOIZE + CAJMERE (GREEN VELVET)

In town as part of the forthcoming Electronic Music Conference, German producer Alex Ridha, best known as Boys Noize, will play Ivy on Wednesday December 4. Pushing electro sounds, Boys Noize rose to prominence off the back of cuts such as ‘The Battery’, collaborations with Erol Alkan and remixes of the likes of Justice and Apparat. Joining Boys Noize on the bill, Green Velvet will throw down under his Cajmere alias, while Daft Punk collaborator Falcon, Destructo and Djedjotronic will also represent.

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Celebrated NYC tastemaker Tim Sweeney, the man behind the online radio show Beats In Space, is playing a Sydney show for HaHa on Friday December 20 at Goodgod Small Club. Also known for his close ties with the DFA label, Sweeney’s sets encompass an eclectic selection of disco, house and techno, exposing you to tunes that you will never have heard before, and in all likelihood will never hear again – except in the unlikely scenario your Shazam is actually able to identify one of Sweeney’s rare white label releases. One can measure Sweeney’s stature in the club

community by the quality guests who cue up to appear on his show – Sweeney has hosted DJ Harvey and Seth Troxler, among others.

CRUISE BAR NYE

It’ll be hard to go past Cruise Bar’s location on Circular Quay for New Year’s Eve festivities. They’re running two parties simultaneously as the fireworks go off. The first is Destination, up close to the action, which will feature La Fiesta Soundsystem, full of African and Latin beats and horns. Upstairs at Upperdeck is all about the glamour: fine dining and indulgences with The Anthill Mob providing the soundtrack. BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13 :: 39

Insane Clown Posse Juggalo Soldier By Tyson Wray

ove ’em or (much more likely) loathe ’em, Insane Clown Posse are a global phenomenon. In a career that has spanned over two decades, the self-proclaimed “most hated band in the world” has sold over 11 million records worldwide – all without commercial support – successfully ran their own music festival for over a decade, and even sued the FBI. But perhaps the most intriguing notion of the ICP world is the devoted and almost cult-like subculture they’ve spawned – the face-painting, Faygo-swigging, ‘whoop whoop!’-hollering Juggalos. “There has never been anything like it in the history of rock’n’roll. Period,” explains Violent J proudly. “They’re not like any other type of music culture. They’re not like hippies. They’re not like Justin Bieber’s fucking Beliebers, or whatever the fuck they’re called. Juggalos come from all walks of life. They’re scrubs, they’re poor people and they’re hillbillies. There’s also policemen and other hard-working good people. There are good apples and bad apples in the Juggalo world. Juggalo is a subculture that has no boundaries to who they let in because everyone is invited. Everybody is included, nobody is excluded. Juggalos will accept you if you’re fat, if you’re nerdy, if you’re ugly. It doesn’t matter. You can be a Juggalo and not be judged. Juggalos are clowns. Therefore, no clown is too clowny to be a Juggalo.

“When they’re together – whether it’s at one of our concerts with hundreds of Juggalos or our yearly gathering with thousands of Juggalos, there are never any fights between Juggalos,” says J of the kinship. “They come to the shows early so they can be in line together. So they can sing together and so they can chant together and share Faygo and share whatever they want. Nobody gets treated like a stranger or a newcomer. Everybody is accepted and they’re totally friendly. A lot of people have met their best friends at our events. They’ve met their wives at our events. Some of them had no friends in their life before they discovered the Juggalo world and now they have hundreds of friends. It’s something to belong to. It’s something to be proud of. It’s a family. Everybody else looks down upon us, but like I always say, the colder it is on the outside the warmer it is on the inside. To be a Juggalo? It feels damn good.”

show over here in the States. We filmed the first season and have been picked up for a second. We’ve never had a TV show before, but we’ve got one now. That’s cool. It’s just another year down, y’know what I mean? Things are pretty damn good in the world of Insane Clown Posse.” Returning to Australia next month for the first time in over a decade, J recounts his previous time here fondly. “The one time we came to Australia about ten years ago we had a great, fantastic time. It was bombastic! The Juggalos were at every show and they were chanting just like the American Juggalos. It was amazing – it was the last thing we expected. We thought we’d go

over there and play to like 50 people a night, but it was nothing like that. It was just like touring the States. We had a great fucking time.” Besides their performances, one of the highlights for J was, apparently, the confirmation of his belief that Australian women are the most promiscuous in the world. “I read that in Maxim magazine,” he laughs. “The last time I was in Australia I got with three chicks. We went out after the shows and we’d go to bars, and we’d meet hotties, and we’d bring ’em back to the hotels. It was great. But it was also devastating. In the morning I’d be like, ‘Come to the show tonight!’ and they’d be like, ‘I can’t, I’ve got work,’ and I’d be like, ‘Come on, take off work and come to the show, please hang with me!’ and they’d be

Xxx photo by xxx

Where: The Hi-Fi When: Saturday December 7

Dro Carey Theory And Practice By Alasdair Duncan and Lemmings – they were the games where I really noticed and loved the strange qualities of sound that the composers could tease out. For example, someone might play a flute in a really low register so it sounds nothing like it’s supposed to – weird things like that.”

40 :: BRAG :: 540 :: 25:11:13

musician,” he says, “and it established a really good theoretical basis. You may not always hear it, because the thing about dance music is that it tends to sound very spontaneous, but that detailed theoretical stuff has informed my music since the start, along with more conventional ideas of songwriting and beat-making.” A childhood love of video games also strongly informs the beats and bleeps that Hector makes as Dro Carey – he once mentioned the Mega Man X soundtrack as a particular touchstone. While he still has an avid interest in video games, loving them from a design and sound perspective, he admits his musical pursuits don’t leave much time to play them. “They’re definitely still something I have a lot of affection for, whether it’s old retro stuff or newer games. They’re a great interest to me, and I find the techniques and ideas they use to compose for a non-linear

medium, like the sound effects, are really interesting.” In the early days of gaming, soundtrack composers had limited tools to work with, which forced them to stretch the bounds of their creativity, doing a lot with a little. This is something Hector finds particularly inspiring. “The composers working back then had to create something really memorable, without anywhere near the number of tricks that people have today. They didn’t even really mix their tracks, they just came directly out of the hardware. Composers in those days were really creative in what they did with the instruments available.” “I really enjoy a lot of the old Macintosh games,” he adds. “They used a really early form of MIDI instruments, which was more detailed than the Nintendo chip, but not that much. I used to love SimCity 2000

When it comes to his Dro Carey releases, Hector is very prolific – he has numerous official releases under his belt, and many more out there in the ether. Unsurprisingly, he works on tracks almost all the time. “I like to work on one or two a day,” he says. “I always try to stay productive. When I don’t necessarily feel inspired in a particular direction, I’ll try and do something different, I’ll try and do something in a completely different genre to see if I can do it. I’m always trying out new software and new approaches – I work every day, definitely.” Though he mostly works from a home studio, with a laptop connected to an interface and monitors, Hector is quite okay with working from a laptop on the road, as long as he can get his numerous ideas down. “I’ll often get ideas together directly off the laptop speakers. I did that quite a bit on tour – I’d get rough ideas directly from there, and worry about mixing them and getting them sounding good once I got back. I’m always about getting the idea down as quickly as possible, and then I’ll come back and worry about the details later.” Hector uses Tumblr as his primary means of engagement with fans on the internet, but finds the haphazard beast of a blogging platform has its drawbacks as well as its advantages.

“The thing about dance music is that it tends to sound very spontaneous, but that detailed theoretical stuff has informed my music since the start.” “Tumblr is very informal, which I like, but it’s difficult because a lot of people on the site post pictures or new tracks without saying where they’re from or giving any context. That lack of organisation can be difficult, because it’s a bit of a hotchpotch – people might lose patience, or they might like something they hear but have no idea where it’s from. That’s the difficult part of it from a promotional perspective.” Dro Carey’s next Sydney show is this weekend, and Hector promises a wealth of new material written after a recent European trip. “As soon as I got back I thought about all of the music that I heard over there, and started producing new tracks straight away in response to that,” he says. “I have a whole lot of new stuff to play. I’m playing with FunkinEven from the UK, so it should be quite an interesting night. It will be the longest set that I’ve performed so far.” What: RA VS FunkinEven & Dro Carey Where: Civic Underground When: Friday November 29

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Given his current immersion in the world of bedroom-produced electronic music, it’s a bit of a surprise to learn that Hector got his start in classical music, taking instrumental lessons from a young age. “Learning piano was my introduction to being a

Directing his thoughts towards their upcoming visit, J explains it’s the passion and reciprocated respect of the Juggalos Down Under that is fuelling their return. “We can’t stand airplane flights. We hate ’em, we hate ’em,” he says. “It’s a 17-hour flight over there but we’re doing it because there are Juggalos that are dying to see us. And on top of that, when you tour Australia you have to fly every fucking night! There’s no tour bus – I’m so fucking big that I can barely fit in an airplane. But I’m doing it for the Australian Juggalos. A lot of Australian Juggalos come over here for the Gathering of the Juggalos and they’re always asking, ‘When are you coming back? When are you coming back?’ Well, you know what? We’re coming back next month. We’re doing it for the Juggalos.” Whoop whoop!

Since forming ICP in 1989 both J and Shaggy 2 Dope have remained constantly active, with 2013 marking the release of their 12th studio album. “We had a good year. We promoted our The Mighty Death Pop! album and then went out on tour. On that tour we performed a lot of obscure and rare songs, we really dug into the crates to find some music that we had never performed live. A lot of really long-time diehard Juggalos were really happy with that tour because it wasn’t like anything that we had ever done before. We had a great Gathering. We also got a TV

“Some of them had no friends in their life before they discovered the Juggalo world and now they have hundreds of friends. It’s something to belong to. It’s something to be proud of. It’s a family.”

ugene Hector is something of an electronic music prodigy. He has numerous releases under his belt, both under the name Dro Carey and his other alias, Tuff Sherm, but much more music trickles out weekly on his Tumblr page. The Sydney producer’s music is a hybrid of all kinds of influences, taking in elements of grime, hip hop, garage and electro, and shooting them through a damaged and beautiful melodic sensibility. Hector himself is polite, quietly spoken and a deep thinker, and when I catch up with him, not long after his return from a European trip, he is excited at all the new tunes he will soon have to share.

like, ‘Look, we had a good time, it was fun, but I have to go.’ I felt really used!”

Le1f Love Song Dedications By Lachlan Kanoniuk

ne of the most prominent artists in a new vanguard of alternative New York rap, Le1f has experienced a rapid ascension into the global eye since the mid-2012 release of his debut mixtape, Dark York. With two more lauded and stylistically diverse mixtapes released this year, Fly Zone and Tree House, Khalif Diouf looks primed to elevate himself to a higher level sometime in the imminent future. “I think it’s been exponential,” says Diouf, charting his rapid musical growth since the release of Dark York. “In some ways I do still feel amateur, which is nice. I’ve had a lot of room to explore, being an unsigned artist. I feel like I’ve been able to find more voices and get more confident in terms of songwriting. It’s exciting, I’ve been able to play within a lot of worlds and styles in rap, R&B and electronic music. I can take out the things I like from what I’ve already experimented with at this point.”

While sex has been intrinsic to pop music throughout its history, it’s often treated with a large degree of humour to allay a semblance of confrontation with the listener. Tree House is overflowing with sex, compounding lush R&B production with no-nonsense, bedroomready slow jams. “For Tree House, that was the entire goal. I was very inspired by Jeremih’s Late Nights mixtape last year. The fact that he captured this ’90s sex R&B vibe, all that music that I loved but isn’t necessarily rap – like Aaliyah, SWV, TLC. Talking about sexuality blatantly, in the same way as an R. Kelly record that you might have sex to;

but at the same time, the production and the mixing and the vocals were so futuristic, so progressive. Like [Jeremih’s] song ‘Fuck You All The Time’, I’ve never heard a song like that, even if the words weren’t about sex. That’s where I was coming from with Tree House. I wanted it to be heady and conceptual in production, but all songs to make love to, or songs that are love songs in some regard.”

What: Subsonic Music Festival With: Chic ft. Nile Rodgers, Antix, Electric Empire, Salmonella Dub, Jon Convex and more Where: Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort When: Friday December 6 – Sunday December 8

Autre Ne Veut Anxiety And Synthesis By Lachlan Kanoniuk the album’s title was in fact a motivating artistic force.

Autre Ne Veut photo by Jody Rogac

“I think that any particularly salient emotion – by emotion I don’t necessarily [mean] primary emotion, it could be something as simple as ambition – you do need that as some sort of engine, or maybe fuel is the better analogy. I do think that anybody who decides what they want to dedicate their life to doing needs that massive amount of motivation. I think for this particular record, anxiety was the fuel I was able to parlay into making the music. I think there are plenty of people with severe anxiety that can be crippled by it as well, so it’s not necessarily in and of itself a creative tool. It’s one of a plethora of options to motivate yourself to do something.” Anxiety’s cover art was originally set to feature Munch’s iconic painting The Scream, but come release time the artwork featured an empty frame instead. “It was primarily a European copyright issue, although I actually do prefer it aesthetically without The Scream,” says Ashin. “I think it articulates the idea at least as well without the actual image in the frame. But the notion and inspiration for the cover art as it tied into the title and theme of the record was quite tongue-in-cheek. The AP [Associate Press] had an image that was almost identical, of two art handlers presenting The Scream for sale at Sotheby’s, I believe it was then sold for 120 million dollars [US]. It was the most expensive piece of art ever sold, although it was just trumped by the Lucian Freud triptych,” he says, referring to the US$142 million price tag on Francis Bacon’s Three Studies Of Lucian Freud that went under the hammer mere hours before our interview. “The idea was to take what is effectively an antiquated trope image of existential anxiety … and place it in a more anxiety-provoking framework of market capitalism, and the relationship between those things and art within the context of art as a product. That symbolic business card for what is ultimately its business, which is business itself. It also ties into the way I make music, which is to take extremely popular notions of music – Top 40 pop and R&B – and attempt to reframe that and work against these tropes, while ratifying them simultaneously. It’s all part of the same picture.”

“A

nd I said / Baaayyaaaybyyyyy”. Delivered with straight-faced, R&Bdrenched sincerity, the opening strains of ‘Play By Play’ reign among the most captivating moments on record in 2013. Far and away one of the tracks of the year, thebrag.com

the opening song of Autre Ne Veut’s Anxiety paves the way for an album that navigates a tightrope between pristine pop and forward-thinking subversion. Speaking from his Brooklyn living room, the solo project’s progenitor Arthur Ashin speaks on whether

Achieving a pristine sonic quality that wasn’t necessarily present on previous releases, Ashin teamed up with peers Daniel Lopatin and Joel Ford on production duties, plus an ace in the hole engineer to achieve that conflict with the aforementioned pop tropes. “[Engineer] Al Carlson was the secret

element, he engineered and mixed the Ford & Lopatin record as well as Replica, which is Dan’s [Oneohtrix Point Never] previous solo record, and he did a lot of work at Mexican Summer studios. The way that’s configured is that there is an office, a brains trust upstairs, then the whole downstairs is dedicated to a large A-room with a huge library with 20-foot ceilings, then a smaller B-room for mixing. That’s kind of like the home of the sound. Tracking and recording with the intention of clarity goes a huge way towards that. But also Al has that magic shimmer attached, he’s worked in more ancillary ways with Lady Gaga, that kind of pop music. In a lot of ways, the key was striking the balance between finding that sound and also being inclined to push away from that into the avant-garde. It was not hard, the recording sessions felt extremely natural, pleasant and easy.” On the surface, Anxiety can be appreciated purely as a slick pop artefact. But also present within its layers are wry, enveloping aural touchstones to blur the barriers between established conventions and more forwardthinking ideas. “I’m not into comedy, but I’m super into satire. In popular culture there is that conflation where satire often ends up being funny, that guffaw-funny satire. But for me satire is this incredible, classical narrative tool. I think it’s of the heart of avant-garde practice in general. To me, the avant-garde takes society as you see it and fucks with it, that punk rock attitude toward canonical norms. There’s an earnest appreciation for Top 40 pop, but also the history of pop music as opposed to real rock’n’roll. “One of the trademarks of pop music is how it innately synthesises a lot of trends into a package that’s palpable not because of its influence, but because of this sheen that’s superimposed on top of the influences. Pop has always experimented with bizarre ideas. Some of the most memorable songs have been from producers like The Neptunes and Timbaland, who actually do really fucking weird shit and are visionary in the way they don’t simply recreate what other people have done.” Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Wednesday February 5 And: Also appearing alongside Haim, Jagwar Ma, Lorde, Parquet Courts, The Jezabels and more at Laneway Festival, Sydney College of the Arts, Saturday February 2

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Le1f photo by Jake Moore

Though Diouf has more than established himself as an idiosyncratic solo artist in his own right, there was some sense of community surrounding his rise last year when working alongside Das Racist and their Greedhead label. As Le1f’s style has grown and developed, so has his range of collaborators. “I definitely have my friends here, and they’re doing cool things around me. But it’s beyond just working with friends now, sometimes I don’t even know the people I’m collaborating with – finding a beat on Soundcloud, or people seeing my show and handing me a CD of beats. Sometimes the collaborations and sense of community comes from that place as well; it’s digitised,” Diouf says.

“I guess Dark York was me trying to [create] a formation of everything I like – other people produced things, I produced, just all the beats that I thought would be good enough that I made for myself that no-one else had used yet. After that, I just wanted to push myself as a vocalist by working with other people’s beats. I can be versatile, but at that time all my beats were C minor, E minor songs with arpeggios and I would respond in a similar way each time, or have a writers’ block because I was so attached to the production side of it. I started to make Tree House just after Fly Zone because I wanted to make love songs. Or at least attempt to, because that was a daunting and scary thing for me to do. Trying to find these warm, luxurious voices was really frustrating. I had five good songs and like 12 annoying ones, so I had to make Fly Zone out of those songs that didn’t fit the concept of a romantic album, that were too aggressive or too airy and not sexualised. That’s what Fly Zone came out of, my frustration at trying to make Tree House last year. It’s a whole trilogy of experimentation.”

club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

Karton

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27 HIP HOP & R&B

The Wall - feat: Resident DJs World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $5.

CLUB NIGHTS

The Supper Club - feat: Resident DJs Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross. 10pm. free. Whip It Wednesdays - feat: DJs Camo + Snillum + Jaimie Lyn Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.

COMEDY

Coke & Sympathy The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $23.80.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 HIP HOP & R&B

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 Chinese Laundry

Bass Bombs Launch

Brklyn Presents - feat: Broken Thought Theory Brklyn, Manly. 8pm. free. Hip Hop Thursdays - feat: Ft. Chux + Billy Green + Diolita Name This Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free. The Ray Mann Three Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. $15.

CLUB NIGHTS

Cool For Cats - feat: DJs Valentino + Camo + Buu Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. Loopy - feat: Drty Csh + Daschwood + Generous Greed + Guest DJs The Backroom, Sydney. 9pm. $10. Scott From Geordie Shore + DJs Jagged Beatz Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 9pm. $10.

HIP HOP & R&B

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 HIP HOP & R&B

Karton + Brooklyn Zoo + Hydraulix + Pop The Hatch + Autoclaws + Bassriot + Struz + Bocue

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30

15 (A Celebration Of Fifteen Years Of Elefant Tracks) feat: Horrorshow + The Herd + Jimblah + Sietta + LabelWide Surprise Metro Theatre, Sydney. 6:30pm. $43.90.

CLUB NIGHTS

4our Turns Two - feat: Residents Claire Morgan + Magda Bytnerowicz + Trinity

Beatside ‘The Prelude’ Launch Party - feat: P. Smurf + Prospecta + Shazza T + Meare + Laxe FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

CLUB NIGHTS

After Dark - feat: Resident DJs Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 8pm. $15. Argyle Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Braille 002 - feat: Thoreau + Brendan Pinilla & Daniel

Kouzan + Kevin Alves + Daniel & Thomas Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. FBi Hands Up! - feat: DJ Clockwerk + Special Friends With Benefits FBi Social, Kings Cross. 11:30pm. free. Heat - feat: DJs Fresh To Death + Stalker + Wrecks Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 8pm. $20. Homemade Saturdays feat: Resident DJs Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $25. Jacksons Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Jacksons On George, Sydney. 9pm. free. Katie Drover + Olivia A + Murat Killic + Robbie Lowe + Mike Whitcam + Hannah Gibbs The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $25. Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. free. Motion - feat: Dave Fernandes + Dean Dixon + Burn-Hard + Harry Sounds Hollywood Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. free. Restless Generation - feat: DJs: Tricky + Rob Milton + Shane Sos Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. Shimmy Shimmy Ya - feat: Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Adit + Mike Who + Nacho Pop Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $5. Skybar Saturdays - feat: Resident DJ The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 9:30pm. $20. Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Start:Cruise 001: Resonance Records Exclusive - feat: Max Chapman + Mesan + Tommy Rutherford + Dyson Rickstar + Ross ‘Bravo’ Ashman + Adam Proctor + Al Heranshaw Sydney Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour. 3pm. $40. The Suite - feat: Resident DJs Sapphire Lounge, Potts Point. 8pm. free.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 CLUB NIGHTS

Beresford Sundays - feat: Resident DJs Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 3pm. free. Easy Sundays - feat: Resident DJs Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross.

FunkinEven

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club pick of the week

& Kate Doherty Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $10. Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. free. Bass Bombs Launch - feat: Karton + Brooklyn Zoo + Hydraulix + Pop The Hatch + Autoclaws + Bassriot + Struz + Bocue Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 10pm. $20. Dusk - feat: DJs B2 + Aaron + Sang Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. El’Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $109. Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Lonely Kids Club Summer Range Launch - feat: Moonbase Commander + Spoonty + This Mess + Meare + Cherax Destructor + Areographe + Embassy + Oliver Francis + Lang Low With Lloyd Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free. Mashed Fridays - feat: DJ Ric C Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free. RA VS - feat: FunkinEven Vs Dro Carey Civic Underground, Sydney. 8pm. $25. Shrug & Significant Others Present: Eelke Kleijn Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $25. Soft & Slow - feat: Cassian + Morgan + Pink Lloyd + Dreamcatcher The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $10. Something Wicked - feat: DJs Harper + Dosage + Floy Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 8pm. $10.

g guide send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com Michelle Owen + Claire Morgan + Uone + Oliver A + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace + Simon Brayford The Abercrombie, Broadway. 2pm. $10. Soup Kitchen - feat: The Soup Kitchen DJs World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. free. Spice After Hours - feat: Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe

10pm. free. Exit 01.12 - feat: Ben Fester + Lovertits + Amanda Louise The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. $20. Festival Afterparty - feat: DJs Harper + 2busy2kiss + Oh Dear Candy’s Apartment, Potts Point. 10pm. $10. S.A.S.H Sundays - feat:

The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 4am. $20. Sunday @ Gay Bar - feat: Resident DJ The Gay Bar, Darlinghurst. 3pm. free. Sunday Sessions - feat: DJ Alter Ego Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 6pm. free.

Hannah Gibbs

club picks p send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29

Michelle Owen

4our Turns Two - Feat: Residents Claire Morgan + Magda Bytnerowicz + Trinity & Kate Doherty Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $10. RA VS - Feat: FunkinEven Vs Dro Carey Civic Underground, Sydney. 8pm. $25. Shrug & Significant Others Present: Eelke Kleijn Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $25. Soft & Slow - Feat: Cassian + Morgan + Pink Lloyd + Dreamcatcher The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $10. 15 (A Celebration Of Fifteen Years Of Elefant Tracks) - Feat: Horrorshow + The Herd + Jimblah + Sietta + LabelWide Surprise Metro Theatre, Sydney. 6:30pm. $43.90.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 Katie Drover + Olivia A + Murat Killic + Robbie Lowe + Mike Whitcam +

Horrorshow

Hannah Gibbs The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. $25. Shimmy Shimmy Ya - Feat: Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Adit + Mike Who + Nacho Pop Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $5. Start:Cruise 001: Resonance Records Exclusive - Feat: Max Chapman + Mesan + Tommy Rutherford + Dyson Rickstar + Ross ‘Bravo’ Ashman + Adam Proctor + Al Heranshaw Sydney Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour. 3pm. $40.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 Exit 01.12 - Feat: Ben Fester + Lovertits + Amanda Louise The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. $20. S.A.S.H Sundays - Feat: Michelle Owen + Claire Morgan + Uone + Oliver A + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace + Simon Brayford The Abercrombie, Broadway. 2pm. $10.

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Deep Impressions Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

Justus Köhncke

nfluential German producer Justus ‘Wonky’ Köhncke has just released his first album in five years on Kompakt Records, Justus Köhncke & The Wonderful Frequency Band. Before establishing himself as a solo artist through his releases on Kompakt, Köhncke was a member of Whirlpool Productions alongside Hans Nieswandt and Eric D. Clark, with the trio climbing to the top of the charts back in 1997 courtesy of their classic track ‘From Disco To Disco’ (sing the title to yourself and you’ll soon have the song resounding in your ears). Köhncke has since continued to exert a potent influence on the electronic music milieu with a melodic discography that traverses house, disco, pop and influences. “When I first started singing in German, [Kompakt Records founder] Wolfgang Voigt said, ‘You’re making Techno-Schlager,’” Köhncke recalled recently, elaborating, “Schlager is a kind of contemporary German folk music, which I don’t mind. But I don’t consider my music ‘Schlager’”. Many of Köhncke’s solo highlights were collated on last year’s retrospective Bass Ist Musik, including classic Kompakt cuts such as ‘Jet’ and ‘2 After 909’, along with his remix of Jürgen Paape’s ‘So Weit Noch Nie’, which was memorably integrated by Erlend Øye on his lauded DJ Kicks compilation. Never afraid of retransforming classic songs through an electronic lens, Köhncke’s broad sonic palette is evinced by the presence of covers of John Cale and Neil Young in his discography, while more recently he has collaborated with Hot Chip vocalist Alexis Taylor under the moniker Fainting by Numbers. He’s also remixed the likes of Chelonis R. Jones, Ladytron, Andreas Dora and Hot Chip, accumulating a back catalogue of work that melds disco and house with a quirky pop sensibility. “I’m known more for uplifting disco stuff, like ‘Timecode’,” Köhncke has previously affirmed. In addition to catchy disco cuts such as ‘A New Direction’, Köhncke’s latest outing offers an engaging smorgasbord of sounds, from the plangent and evocative ‘Tell Me’ – the album’s excellent lead-off single, which features Köhncke’s old buddy Clark – to the more driving and chaotic ‘Nucleus Accumbens’ and the obligatory cover, ‘Now That I Found You’, which is in fact a cover of a cover, the inspiration stemming from Nashville country starlet Alison Krauss’ version of a track by soul legends The Foundations. Justus Köhncke & The Wonderful Frequency Band is highly recommended for longtime fans of the Kompakt oeuvre, or anyone seeking enterprising electronic music that transcends the nightclub realm. Veteran London house and techno producer (‘tech house’ if you will) Colin McBean, AKA Mr G, crowns a triumvirate of internationals throwing down at The Imperial Hotel in Erskineville on Friday January 17, that also

includes Manchester’s Trus’Me, the chap behind the Prime Numbers label, and New Zealand’s Chaos in the CBD. Aside from his output as Mr G, which was recently the subject of a compilation released on Radio Slave’s Rekids label – the imaginatively titled Retrospective – McBean has worked alongside Cisco Ferreira as The Advent and released under the monikers The Reaver, Mango Boy and Halcyon Daze. Renowned for creating tracks that are characterised by their deep and heavy bass, McBean’s use of analogue hardware should translate well to his live set. Put it this way; it’s apt that this party is being hosted by the Boom Boom promo crew. Early bird tickets are available for $22 – a veritable steal in anybody’s book considering the lineup on offer. Genetics research student turned dance music producer Max Cooper will drop a new single ‘Adrift’ next month comprising remixes by Nils Frahm and Raffertie, with the release wetting our collective appetite for his debut album Human, which is slotted for a March release. A favourite among Sydneysiders ever since his performance at the Subsonic Music Festival in 2011, Cooper’s debut album is a long time coming, finally arriving after a surfeit of EPs like his breakout release Series and remixes of the likes of Dominik Eulberg, Agoria and Sasha. Traversing atmospheric and at times brooding soundscapes, Human will attract comparisons to Trentemøller upon its release, but should also establish Cooper as one of the foremost producers of immersive and ‘emotional’ dance music, someone who is as capable of sending a dancefloor into raptures as he is adept at eliciting more introspective responses through tracks that are more restrained and soundtrack-like.

LOOKING DEEPER SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 Smallpeople Bondi SLSC

FRIDAY DECEMBER 13 Klartraum + Nadja Lind The Burdekin

FRIDAY JANUARY 17 Mr G + Trus’Me The Imperial Hotel

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 Cassy Agwa Yacht Club

Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through deep.impressions@yahoo.com 44 :: BRAG :: 540 : 25:11:13

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suburban dark

PICS :: KC

up all night out all week . . .

14:11:13 :: Name This Bar :: 797 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9356 2123

live review choose one!” And it seemed that most went with the latter.

FOXES Oxford Art Factory Thursday November 14 There’s no point denying it: Louisa Rose Allen, AKA Foxes, is a babe. The moment she chirped, “Hi, we’re Foxes!” in her slightly posh accent, the guy next to me said, “Well, that’s me done – I’m officially in love.” But this Aphrodite has one massive voice that managed to consume the entire room.

16:11:13 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney 9223 5585

The standout tracks of the night were two of Foxes’ collaborative efforts. The first she’d done with Rudimental, the atmospheric ‘Right Here’, which offered a temporary break from the popladen set. And her encore of ‘Clarity’ (which she worked on with Zedd) was heartwrenchingly dramatic. Foxes is a pint-sized powerhouse and her explosive energy was infectious. There perhaps could have been a bit more light and shade in her set, as a lot of the tracks in the middle were hard to differentiate from one another. She has an alluring presence and if she allowed herself the occasional moment of stillness she’d probably receive even more declarations of love. On this occasion, someone threw a kettle onstage with her face on it. Each to their own. Helen Vienne

s.a.s.h ft. dave seaman KE PHOTOGRAPHER : KATRINA CLAR

17:11:13 :: The Abercrombie Hotel :: 100 Broadway Ultimo 9280 2178 S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: AMATH OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

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We were given a sneak peak of her upcoming album, Glorious, which is due for release in February next year. She launched into her anthemic single ‘Youth’ pretty early in the set, which went down like a good, strong cup of tea with the mostly expat audience. Everyone then broke out into what I can only describe as a pop/ dance bop (or a cheery mosh, if you will) for the remainder of the set, as we were informed: “You’ve got two choices, you can either dance or jump, but you’ve got to

spice troopers

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What we've been out to see...

D ROUSE MAGNAN :: ASHLEY MAR :: DAVI

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soft & slow ft.justin van der volgen

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up all night out all week . . .

wanklemut

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15:11:13 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney 9223 5585

joel rafidi

14:11:13 :: The Standard :: 3/383 Bourke St Darlinghurst 9331 3100

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kilter + rat traps

PICS :: AM

PICS :: KC

16:11:13 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999

15:11:13 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999 S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

MAR ::

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